Solar Car Races

Pick your vehicle—stock car, motorcycle, pickup truck, riding lawn mower—and competitors in the United States race them. So, too, the solar-powered car.

Robert Becho is a member of the solar-powered car racing team at the University of Missouri, Rolla. His crew’s sleek, low-slung vehicle is covered with cells that convert sunlight to electricity and power the vehicle. (The world’s fastest solar racer, the Netherlands-based Nuna 2, has topped out at 105 miles an hour/170 kilometers an hour.)

Competitions take place on public roads. As a result, "we become a rolling science project," said Becho, a computer and engineering student. He notes that red lights often spur impromptu question-and-answer sessions with drivers of regular cars.

Hotlinks to Additional Internet Resources:
Adiante:  A 6500 km tour through Europe on solar power alone. 15 countries within 2 weeks.  / (added 09/2005)
American Solar Challenge:  A competition to design, build and race solar-powered cars in a cross-country event.  / (added 09/2005)
CalPoly:  Makers of solar cars Sun Luis, Sidewinder, SLO Burn.. / (added 09/2005)
Dell Winston School Solar Car Challenge:  The Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge started in 1995 to help motivate students in science and engineering. The Challenge, a part of the Winston School in Dallas, teaches high school students around the world how to build roadworthy solar cars. On even-numbered years, racing is on the world-famous Texas Motor Speedway; on odd-numbered years, the teams drive cross-country to share their projects with millions of people.  / (added 09/2005)
Formula Sun Grand Prix:  FSGP is an international closed-course race for solar cars. / (added 09/2005)
JP Next Agecom:  Kyushu Tokai University solar car project / (added 09/2005)
Kano Lab:  Oyama National College of Technology / (added 09/2005)
Kohka:  Shizuoka Institute of Technology solar car club / (added 09/2005)
Michelin Challenge Bibendum:  The Michelin Challenge Bibendum is open to carmakers, universities, public or private companies and research institutes who wish to participate with production or prototypes / concept vehicles. / (added 09/2005)
MIT Solar Electric Vehicle:  The MIT SEVT recently released Tesseract, the first in a new family of cars that take advantage of space-grade solar cells and the ISF 5000 regulations. Tesseract placed third in the 2003 World Solar Challenge across the Australian Outback. / (added 09/2005)
New Mexico Tech Solar Racing:  Since 1992 the New Mexico Tech Solar Racing Team has designed, built, and raced vehicles powered only by the sun. All members of the team are undergraduate students at New Mexico Tech. / (added 09/2005)
Nuna2:  Nuna 2 is a solar car. In fact, she is the World Champion solar car, for it has won the World Solar Challenge in Australia in 2003. Top speed: 170 km/h, or +100mph´ / (added 09/2005)
Nuna3:  Solar car built by students, 3rd edition. / (added 09/2005)
nuSun:  Founded in 1998, the Northwestern University Solar Car Team is an undergraduate student organization composed of students and faculty advisors from the broad range of engineering disciplines at Northwestern University working together to design, build, and race solar electric vehicles for competition in the American Solar Challenge and Formula Sun races. / (added 09/2005)
Phaeton 2004:  Phaethon 2004 constituted of two independent events, a circuit race event in a racetrack and a rally race. Starting point for the rally was the Olympic Stadium in Athens. / (added 09/2005)
Principia Solar Car:  It combines aircraft composite construction with satellite grade solar cells, and solid lithium-polymer batteries – all based on an ultra-light aluminum space frame chassis. / (added 09/2005)
Prominence:  Solar powered vehicle weekend project / (added 09/2005)
Queens Solar Vehicle Team:  The Queen’s Solar Vehicle Team officially holds the record for "Furthest Distance Traveled by a Solar Car in One Journey" in the 2002 Guinness Book of World Records. / (added 09/2005)
Rits Solar Car:  Ritsumeikan University EV-racing team / (added 09/2005)
Sol of Auburn:  What started as an idea for a Mechanical Engineering senior project to build a small remote-control solar-powered car has mushroomed into the largest undergraduate engineering project ever undertaken a Auburn University. / (added 09/2005)
Solar Car Team Jona Sun Russian Journey / (added 09/2005)
Solar Eagle:  With an award for its aerodynamic design, Solar Eagle 1 placed first in California and fourth in the Nation during the GM Sunrayce. More in the make.. / (added 09/2005)
Solar Motions:  Top ranked private solar car racing team in the United States based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A registered non-profit organization, Solar Motions is dedicated to fostering a public understanding of and enthusiasm for alternative sources of energy and efficient designs.  / (added 09/2005)
Solar Revolution:  University of Virginia Solar Car Program. Find out more info about our program. / (added 09/2005)
Sunlake Toyobo:  TOYOBO Research Center Otsu / (added 09/2005)
SunRace:  In November of 2003 John Hoerner, Founder and Director of SunRace, suffered a number of severe strokes that impaired his eyesight and short term memory.    Due to this, SunRace was deferred for 2004. / (added 09/2005)
Suzuka:  This race began in 1992.It has been authorized by Federation Internationale del’Automobile, the FIA. The race is run at an international race circuit where FIA Formula One World Championships are held / (added 09/2005)
Taiyouchu:  Interesting solar car.. / (added 09/2005)
Team PrISUm:  One of the main goals of Team PrISUm is to educate the community about solar energy. Throughout the year we participate in several outreach events, listed below, to talk to various groups of people at schools, businesses, and public venues.  / (added 09/2005)
Texas A&M Solar Motorsports Team:  Solar racing, solar power, hybrid vehicles, software companies and competing teams.  / (added 09/2005)
Total Economy Run:  A cross-country race with mass-production cars where fuel efficiency determines the winner. / (added 09/2005)
Tour de Sol:  Showcased vehicles that can cut gas prices today and competitors leading the way to a sustainable energy and transportation future. / (added 09/2005)
Univ  of Michigan Solar Car Racing Team:  The Michigan Solar Car Team is a non-profit, student run organization whose purpose is to design, finance, build and race a solar powered vehicle in several competitions across the US and the World. / (added 09/2005)
UNSW Solar Car Team:  University of New South Wales / (added 09/2005)
Winston Solar Car Team:  The Winston Solar Car Team represents American high schools at the Australian World Solar Challenge. The Winston Team is the same group of young people who hosted this summer’s Winston Solar Challenge at the world famous Texas Motor Speedway.  / (added 09/2005)
Winston Solar Challenge:  The WSC is a high school solar car race. The Winston Team also hosts Winston Science and teaches schools around the world how to build road-worthy solar cars.  / (added 09/2005)
World Economo Move:  The first economy run race for the electric vehicle in the world. / (added 09/2005)
World Solar Car Rallye:  Annual solar car race / (added 09/2005)
World Solar Challenge and World Solar Cycle Challenge:   / (added 09/2005)
WSTM 2003 Malaysia:  World SolarCar Tour / (added 09/2005)
xof1:  The dream of building a solar car and set a new world distance record. / (added 09/2005)
Yumekobo Solar Car Project:  Kanazawa Institute of Technology / (added 09/2005)

Please suggest additional links   

Leave a Comment