Solar Team Twente started the first day of the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa today with their solar car RED XI. In the provisional standings, the Twente student team is in shared second place with a provisional distance travelled of 452.3 kilometres.
The day started smoothly, which allowed the students to drive briskly. After about thirty minutes, the students from Twente managed to overtake the race convoy of the Belgian team Innoptus Solar Team. At the first running stop, Solar Team Twente had now built up a lead over Innoptus Solar Team. Under the watchful eye of the many schoolchildren in the stands, the students prepared for the loop. By involving as many schoolchildren as possible during the challenge, the organisation hopes to enthuse children in South Africa for STEM subjects.
Difficult to overtake
The loop started through a fairly busy village. The stretch after that was a fairly busy road, which made overtaking difficult. Here, Innoptus Solar Team managed to catch up again behind Solar Team Twente's race convoy. At the next stop, the team decided to enter the control stop for the day. During the control stop, many schoolchildren were informed about the car and the adventure.
During the first day of the Sasol Solar Challenge, the top three, consisting of Brunel Solar Team (Delft), Innoptus Solar Team and Solar Team Twente, stayed close together. In the last five kilometres, Solar Team Twente managed to overtake Brunel Solar Team. As a result, the Twente student team came in first today with the same number of kilometres as Brunel Solar Team.
Extra loop
Innoptus Solar Team decided to drive an extra loop and thus for the time being is in first place with a 36.9-kilometre lead. The Belgian team came in too late as a result, which means they have to stop for a certain amount of time at a time of their own choosing.
Tomorrow, after the end of the second day of the challenge, the ‘marathon stage’ will take place. That means the team is virtually not allowed to touch the car. Only three team members are allowed to tinker with the car until 10 pm, whereas normally several people are allowed to work on the car without limit. They are also only allowed to bring tools they can carry themselves. ‘A big challenge, but we face this special stage with confidence,’ says race leader Laura Voogd.
Solar Team Twente
Solar Team Twente is a student team formed by students from Saxion University of Applied Sciences and the University of Twente. For a year and a half, the team designs and builds the world's most efficient solar car. With this solar car, the team will be at the start of the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa on 13 September 2024. For optimal preparation, it is essential that the team goes through several test phases in which not only the car but also the team members are prepared for the race.
Sasol Solar Challenge
The Sasol Solar Challenge is the world's most challenging solar race and takes place every two years in South Africa. The start in Johannesburg usually features around 14 teams from all parts of the world. The race contains three classes, with Solar Team Twente competing in the Challenger Class, similar to Formula 1 in regular car racing. The team with the most kilometres driven wins the Sasol Solar Challenge 2024.
Due to the constantly changing regulations, all participating teams are challenged to come up with new innovations every edition. These innovations eventually contribute to the global sustainability of the mobility sector.
