Student team Solar Team Eindhoven, from Eindhoven University of Technology, has presented a new solar car that is made for rough terrain.
The Stella Terra, as the car is called, weighs 1,200 kilos, runs purely on solar energy and can reach a (limited) top speed of 145 kilometres per hour. The vehicle can drive 630 kilometres on one battery charge.
Designing a solar car that can also drive on unpaved roads brought new challenges, team manager Wisse Bos said.
“Stella Terra must be able to handle the tough conditions of off-roading, but also remain efficient and light enough to be powered by the sun. That is why we had to design almost everything about Stella Terra ourselves, from the suspension to the inverters for the solar panels.”
Sahara
It is not yet clear whether the car can actually handle the roughest terrains well. The Stella Terra has been tested in the Netherlands, but there are no really difficult areas here. The student team will therefore leave for Morocco in October. There, the solar car must drive about a thousand kilometers through different landscapes, ending in the Sahara.
High eyes
According to the Solar Team, the vehicle is the first that runs solely on solar energy and can drive on unpaved roads. However, it is not the first scoop for the TU/e student team. Previously, well-performing solar cars have already received a lot of attention. In addition, a spin-off of the student team was founded with Lightyear.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
