University Solar Challenge!

The biennial World Solar Challenge (WSC) is a daunting 3,000 kilometre drive across deserted Outback Australia, from Darwin in the Northern Territories to Adelaide in South Australia. Each participating electric car is powered by nothing more than the sun and a healthy dose of team grit, spirit and determination. Autovolt caught up with some of the team at CUER (Cambridge University Eco Racing).

- Jonathan Musk

The history.

It’s an epic journey for any vehicle to undertake, let alone one-off specials that are at the mercy of the weather. The Challenge first began in 1987 and was won by General Motors’ Sunraycer, with an average speed of 42mph. Perhaps the most famous winner is the Honda Dream, which won both the 1993 and 1996 Challenges. New rules and classes have been added in response to the continual improvements made year on year. By 2005, in response to several teams who found themselves restricted by the 110km (68mph) South Australian speed limit, a new challenge to build a solar car that could be manufactured as sustainable transport with little modification was introduced. In 2007 competitors could participate in the Adventure or Challenge classes and just two years later the rules were altered again in response to the rapidity of development. In 2013 a new Cruiser class was added for cars that closely resemble a regular solar powered multi-passenger vehicle that we, the public, might one day drive. The next Challenge takes place between 8-15th October 2017 with ‘Challenger’, ‘Cruiser’ and the non-competitive ‘Adventure’ classes.

Perhaps the UK’s best chance of winning is the CUER team. The Challenger class solar car must be a single seat aerodynamic machine with four wheels and a maximum solar array of 4m2. The CUER car differs from its competitors by sporting a more aerodynamic teardrop shape, rather than aiming to be the most efficient solar collector. Many of the Challenger class cars are affectionately adorned with a ‘table’ description, due to their flat upper surface with a wheel hung off each corner.