Solar Team Twente defies harsh weather conditions and retains second position Solar Team Twente proved itself again today during the Sasol Solar Challenge. Despite the harsh weather conditions, the team drove the same number of loops as the competition and retained second place in the provisional rankings.
With temperatures dropping to just 4 degrees overnight, it was a cold start for the team members, and even the solar panel of the ‘Voltwagen’ was frozen. “Some were shivering quite a bit last night,” said team manager Laura Voogd. The day started foggy, but at 08:01, the Twente team set off from second place, surrounded by a thick cloud of fog
Quickly in the lead
Despite the little sun due to the fog, the team started confidently. And with success: they soon overtook their direct competitor Innoptus, giving Solar Team Twente the lead again on the road.
“The cloud cover over our heads is pretty thick, which means that all teams are driving a little slower,” Voogd reported. Despite the difficult conditions, Solar Team Twente remained in the lead, with Brunel Solar Team following about five minutes behind and Innoptus about half a loop behind.
Blind Stage
Throughout the day, it remained heavily cloudy, with minimal solar radiation for the teams’ solar panels. Solar Team Twente completed six loops in these challenging conditions, as did the competition. This left the top of the provisional rankings unchanged compared to yesterday.
The team is confidently looking forward to the next stages of the challenge, where every minute and kilometre will count. Tomorrow, the so-called blind stage will take place. This is a big challenge, as the teams will follow a secret route that will only be revealed to them this evening. Before that, Solar Team Twente has to work through the night to map the route, determine the strategy, and prepare their solar car RED XI for this challenge.