Solar Team Twente unveils new solar car design

The Solar Team Twente of the University of Twente and the Saxion University of Applied Sciences unveiled its new solar car on Thursday. The ‘red’ team has opted for an asymmetrical design for the first time.

The reason that an asymmetrical design was chosen, with the ‘cockpit’ not in the middle, is that shadows from the driver’s canopy on the solar panels only fall once a day. This increases the yield, which should lead to a faster race. The total surface of solar panel is 6m2.

The dimensions of the new solar car are 4500x1800x2200 millimeters and a solar car in the Challenger class cannot be larger according to the regulations of the World Solar Challenge. The weight is 139 kilos. The builders used aluminum 7075-t651 for the rims, an alloy that is comparable in strength to steel, but has a relatively low weight.

According to Solar Team Twente, the consumption of the car is ‘comparable to a hair dryer’ and the vehicle has as much air resistance as a ‘side mirror of a Ford Transit’. The team is trying to raise the necessary money through crowdfunding, among other things.

The vehicle participates under number 21 in the World Solar Challenge, the race that is held every two years and crosses Australia over a distance of 3000 kilometers. The race will be held from October 18 to 25 this year.