Solar Cars to Begin Gasoline-Free Journey Sunday

WASHINGTON, DC - Twenty teams have qualified for the American Solar Challenge, the world’s longest solar car race, which begins Sunday in Chicago and will end in Claremont, Calif. on July 23, using only sunlight for fuel.  The team completing the 2,300-mile journey in the lowest cumulative time will be the winner of this U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored event.

Kansas State University had the best qualifying time and will start first, with the other cars following at 1-minute intervals in the order of their qualifying times.  The University of Minnesota will start second, and The University of Missouri - Rolla will leave third.

“There are few greater challenges a college student can undertake than to design a state-of-the-art solar car, build it from scratch, and race it 2,300 miles,” said Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.  “These are some of our brightest young people, and those who have made it this far have already proven they have the talent, the fortitude and the determination to be a successful scientist or engineer.  I wish all the teams the best in this very demanding competition.”

Final qualifying events and safety checks were held this week at Northwestern University outside Chicago and at MGA Research Track in Burlington, Wis.   To qualify, each team had to drive its solar car at least 140 miles on the track at an average speed of at least 25 mph.  The laps had to be completed in fewer than 8.5 hours.  In addition to the qualifying laps, all teams had to undergo rigorous safety and reliability checks at Northwestern University.

Solar cars use photovoltaic solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity and store it in batteries for use when needed.   Weather and energy management play important roles in the race.  The cars mostly travel at highway speeds and are required to obey local speed limits, but in general, the sunnier the day, the faster and farther the cars can run.  Bright days also allow the cars to “fill up” their batteries for cloudy or rainy days.

The cars will leave Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, 57^th Street and Lake Shore Drive, at 9 a.m. Sunday.  The public is invited.  Teams will make final preparations for the race on the museum’s north lawn from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and the public is welcome to see these unique cars up close and to look “under the hood.”