16th World Solar Challenge Dates Set

The dates for the world’s most prestigious solar car race across the dusty heart of Australia are locked in for 2023.

The biennial Bridgestone World Solar Challenge has run for more than 30 years and sees teams from all over the world push the limits of technological innovation in a race of over 3,000 kilometres from Darwin to Adelaide using purely solar-powered vehicles.

Participating teams enter their vehicles into either the Challenger Class, Cruiser Class or Adventure Class. The winner of the Challenger Class is determined by the first crossing of the finish line in Adelaide. The Cruiser Class is about practicality and the winner determined by various factors including performance and design. The Adventure Class is all about inspiration – these are non-competitive entries.

The 16th running of the World Solar Challenge was meant to occur last year,  but like so many other events in 2021 was cancelled due to the impacts of the pandemic. The cancellation was a great disappointment to the event’s many fans and of course the teams that had worked so hard to prepare. Teams are usually comprised of  tertiary and secondary students.

There won’t be a “makeup” this year – I imagine pulling something like this together would be a logistical nightmare at the best of times; let alone with the dreaded lurgy still doing the rounds – and perhaps with a few more unwelcome surprises in store. But the dates of  20-27 October 2023 for the 16th running were confirmed last week.

“The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is a fantastic event. I remember attending one of the first editions as a child and it’s fantastic for Territory kids to continue to be inspired by this world-class event,” said Northern Territory Government Minister for Major Events Natasha Fyles. “We look forward to welcoming new and old competitors to the Territory for this incredible challenge.”

Regulations for the 2023 World Solar Challenge will be released next month, with event registration to open in June.

From Outback Dash To Cruising Europe

One of the very interesting vehicles to evolve from the World Solar Challenge is the Netherlands’ Eindhoven University of Technology’s Solar Team Eindhoven’s Stella Vita. It’s is an RV of sorts – or as the team refers to it: “a self-sustaining house on wheels,” which is probably a tad enthusiastic.

In September last year, Stella Vita was put through its paces on a 3,000 kilometre journey through Europe, a trip that was successfully completed in October just using the energy of the sun.

Solar Team Eindhoven has done really well in the World Solar Challenge, with the team claiming a fourth consecutive Cruiser Cup in 2019 in its fourth-generation solar electric car and Stella Vita predecessor, Stella Era.

While it certainly makes sense to install solar panels on homes, is it practical to put solar on electric cars generally? And if so, why don’t all electric cars have solar roofs?

Back in January, SQ’s Ronald delved into the engineering and economic reasons why solar cells aren’t a standard inclusion on electric cars – yet.