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Western Michigan University is going to enter the Formula Sun Grand Prix in Austin, Texas with their Sunseeker Solar Car Team. The interesting solar vehicles racing event starts on July 1, and a team of engineering students has done their best to design, build, and finetune their solar machine to be fully prepared for this exciting race.

Team president Tim Lyman acts as a captain of this ambitious team, and he states that the solar car racing takes a lot of planning in advance because you have to know how long the car can go while there is sunlight. He also points out that all the mechanical parts, such as brakes or suspensions, have to be at the top of their game.

The entire crew has to work as the pit stop team all the time and to solve problems on the go. Nobody knows what can go wrong and at what point, but when the team manages to find a quick fix and carry on, it is really an exhilarating experience. This amazing experience also provides the crew with invaluable life skills.

Professor Bazuyn, who acts as a team advisor, says that the expected speed when cruising is 40m/h, while it is expected to develop to 70m/h at prime time. Professor continues by naming the crucial factors that will lead to victory. Those are: staying on track, reliability, performance, and speed.

FSGP Racing Event

Formula Sun Grand Prix is the racing event held annually, and it is an international competition open to solar racing teams from all around the world. The racing track consists of different road-resembling closed courses. Participation in this race provides a unique opportunity to test the vehicle’s performance in real-life conditions.

The solar racing team that completes the largest number of laps within the three days of this competition is a winner. 

All solar cars in this race have a battery, but they should all harness the solar energy for racing. When it is cloudy or rainy, the battery jumps in to provide additional power. 

The teams are going to have determined periods when they can recharge their batteries, and then, they are expected to race for eight hours straight. The speed that some solar vehicle can develop will depend only on the intensity of sunlight, so it is expected for these racing cars to run the fastest between noon and 2 p.m., and that’s when they are the most efficient.

How It All Started at the Western Michigan University

The history of building solar-powered vehicles at the Western Michigan University goes back to 1989 when the Sunseeker Solar Team started developing their first model that appeared at the FSGP event in 1990. The team started with an ambition to make energy-efficient means of transport. Nowadays, they want to raise awareness of the importance of renewable energy.

The WMU solar racing team ended third in the Formula Sun Grand Prix in 2012, and they have high hopes for this year.

The Sunseeker Solar Team, like any other racing team, depends on sponsors and donations. So if you want to see your sticker on this adorable yellow solar machine, visit their team website to get additional information.