VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2

Racing to Innovate How the next-generation is pushing the boundaries of solar by James Loginov

SINCE THEIR FOUNDING IN 1989, the University of Michigan Team (UM Solar Car) has built 15 solar race cars. Currently, their working on production of their latest model for the . In addition to winning this event nine times, the team has also secured 7 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge podium finishes, and won the 2015 Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge. UM Solar Car has become America's undisputed #1 solar Like the Daytona 500 or 24-Hours of Le Mans, the BWSC is car team. Over the years, it’s grown to encompass four engineering not just about speed; everything about the car and the team is divisions - mechanical, electrical, aerodynamics, and strategy, as well as stress-tested to the extreme. This is a true endurance challenge. operations and business - yet remains an entirely student-run project. With very fine margins between winning and losing, even finishing is a huge achievement. “Joining the team means joining a tight- knit community, including hundreds of “The Bridgestone World Solar team alumni as part of a global solar Challenge is such a tough race racing community. It's a chance to engage because you can show up with the with complex subjects, from energy best technology, the lightest car, storage to international shipping and and still not reach the podium. weather modelling, all in a hands-on, To be able to say that you raced open-ended capacity that goes beyond 3000 kilometres, and conquered any classroom experience. the Australian Outback, is a huge If I had to choose one characteristic universal among Solar Car achievement after all the countless members, it would be the pursuit of excellence - to approach a problem, hours of work; and something to be proud of.” figure out a solution, and to keep finding better, and better solutions. - Zack Piper, 2021 Operations Director That's the operating philosophy of our team, it's how we've maintained our competitive edge over 30 years, and it's why our team members In 2019, Halmstad University Solar Team's battery caught fire opt to spend 40, 50, 60 hours on top of their academic and personal during testing. Durham University Electric Motorsport stepped commitments working on the Solar Car every week.” in to save them by donating an almost identical battery, and - Steven Zhang, 2021 Project Manager worked through the night to help repair the Swedish team's vehicle. Other teams were not so fortunate… UM Solar Car brings together students from various backgrounds and Solar Team Twente was knocked out of the race by strong disciplines to work together towards a common goal: build the best solar winds, while the Vattenfall Solar Team (winners in 2017) were vehicle possible to win the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC). eliminated when their car caught fire just 263 km from the A race like no other, the BWSC is a biennial, 3,000 km trek through finish line. UM Solar Car survived the full distance to secure a the Australian Outback - from Darwin to Adelaide - with every vehicle spot on the podium with a 3rd place finish. powered exclusively by energy from the sun. Continued on next page...

Reprinted with permission. VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2

Racing to Innovate How the next-generation is pushing the boundaries of solar …continued from previous page.

“To win the Bridgestone World Solar With Solar PV alone predicted to account for 60 percent Challenge, you need more than a good design. of all renewable capacity additions through 20251, and the You need a team filled with enthusiastic market estimated to be worth $4.08 Billion by members that are passionate about getting 20302, the young engineers of the UM Solar Car team are the car to the finish line as quickly as possible. already on the cutting edge, racing to innovate and unlock It's an amazing competition, but the race the full potential of solar power. is gruelling. It demands dedication, attention to every detail, practice, and an adaptable race strategy that gets us all The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge announced the way to Adelaide and the finish line.” on the 12th of February that this year's event had been - Connor Boerman, 2021 Engineering Director cancelled, due to ongoing uncertainty caused by the pandemic. The next race will occur in two years. EKO Not so much 'Fast & Furious' as 'Smart & Serious', BWSC challenges Instruments will continue to support the Michigan young engineers and extraordinary minds from UM Solar Car - and University Solar Car Team through the emPower other (mainly university-based) teams from over 30 countries - to programme as they adapt to new challenges and push the limits of innovation and engineering. Together, these young prepare for 2023. innovators contribute to the ongoing evolution of both solar power and solar-powered vehicles. On July 19, 2019, the UM Solar Car team unveiled their new car: James Loginov is Head of Marketing & Communications at 'Electrum'. Building on their previous vehicle's success, the team EKO Instruments. overhauled the electrical system, ditching the traditional lithium- EKO Instruments is sponsoring the University of Michigan ion battery in favour of a new Li-Polymer battery pack. Improved Solar Car Team, and five other teams from around the aerodynamics created more space for solar panels behind the cockpit. world at the next 'Bridgestone World Solar Challenge', as With the addition of trapezoid-shaped solar cells (instead of rectangular) part of the 'EKO | emPower' programme; providing the they also managed to include a higher density of cells in the same latest environmental instruments, technical partnerships, amount of space. and support to young scientists, designers, students, and Powered entirely by the sun, efficient energy generation and engineers around the world. Helping them to innovate, management are crucial at every stage of development. Even during achieve their goals, advance their ideas, and build a better, the race itself, the team needs to know precisely how much energy they more sustainable, future. should be generating, how much energy they are generating, and how much they are using. EKO INSTRUMENTS /// eko-usa.com Heading into 2021 the pressure is already on to make the next race- winning breakthrough. 1Renewables 2020, Analysis and forecast to 2025 (11/2020) https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2020 “Solar Car racing is one of the most 2Solar Vehicle Market Worth $4.08 Billion by 2030: Allied important events within the renewable Market Research (24/11/2020) https://www.globenewswire. automotive industry. Not only does it allow a com/news-release/2020/11/24/2132536/0/en/Solar- community of like-minded innovators to come Vehicle-Market-Worth-4-08-Billion-by-2030-Allied-Market- together, but it also pushes the development of Research.html the newest and greatest innovations within the automotive landscape. There are not many programs that can continuously bring people together on this magnitude to change the world towards a better and cleaner future.” - Jared McLean, 2021 Business Director

Reprinted with permission. VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2

Reprinted with permission.