What is a Solar Challenge?
The racing team have previously been involved in Solar Challenge competitions, where students have been inspired to push the boundaries of electric vehicle performance. Student teams design and build ultra-efficient solar-powered electric cars to take part in endurance races around the world. During these challenges students learned to be adaptable and match the race strategy to the conditions, much like in F1!
What makes us stand out?
Our first solar car was a radical two-seater vehicle. The car was designed to be more sustainable than the competition. We achieved this by upcycling parts from used electric vehicles (EVs) that would have otherwise been scrapped. The chassis was upgraded from a Renault Twizy, and the battery pack used modules from a Nissan Leaf. This avoided the costly, energy-intensive process of recycling the raw materials inside.
Upcoming competitions
We do not have any upcoming competitions and we are not planning to compete in Solar Challenges in 2024/25 or 2025/26.
Our car
2022 Car
| Name |
Izzy |
| Number of Wheels |
4 (front steered and rear driven) |
| Solar Array Power |
1 kW average on a sunny day |
| Solar Cell Efficiency |
22-24% |
| Solar Array Size |
5m2 |
| Maximum Motor Power |
10 kW |
| Maximum Speed |
60 mph |
| Battery Storage Capacity |
36 kWh |
| Battery Voltage |
135 V at full charge |
| Battery Technology |
Li-Ion Pouch cells (Second life Nissan Leaf Batteries) |
| Chassis Construction |
Stee tube spaceframe (modified Renault Twizy) |
| Bodyshell Construction |
Vacuum formed ABS & CFRP |