Solar Car Racing

Solar car racing

Solar car racing has been increasingly popular since it first hit the scene in 1985. Way back then, the Tour de Sol started in Switzerland and continued for five days. The field was small, with only 72 cars at the start line, and a mere 52 that finished the face. But interest in solar cars has been increasing ever since!

Today, universities around the world participate in solar car racing. These events help develop engineering and technological skills. The American Solar Challenge (originally Sunrayce USA), has been a solar car racing event since 1990. It was originally sponsored by GM, and since then – with the exception of two years – has been an annual event, ranging in distance from about 1,000 to 2,400 miles. The World Solar Challenge is another great solar race! Each year, participants cover 1,800 miles through the Australian Outback.

With solar car racing, there are a lot of components that have to be considered in building the vehicle itself. Among other things, solar panels need to be installed so they sit perpendicular to the sun. And, each solar car can only have 5 kilowatts (kW) of stored solar energy, which halts racing overnight until the sun comes up again. Then, the teams and drivers come into play. No more than 4 people (and no less than 2) may comprise a team. Drivers cannot be too light, either, to give a team an unfair advantage. Weigh less than 180 pounds and the car will have to include a ballast to make up the difference.

Lest you think that solar cars are sluggish and slow, you might be surprised to learn that the 68 mph limit actually handicapped several teams. In 2009, the winner of the Solar World Challenge averaged 62 miles per hour.

What do you think of solar car racing? A fad, or the wave of the future?

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