Student teams from around the world gathered at the University of Minnesota as the American Solar Challenge got underway, kicking off a cross-country trip in cars powered entirely by the sun.
The university hosted a free public Display Day on July 24, where teams showed off their vehicles before hitting the road July 25. Cars are expected to roll into Amarillo on August 1, following the Great River Road and Historic Route 66 — a route chosen in part to mark Route 66's 100th anniversary. A record 42 teams from the United States, Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands registered for this year's race, with as many as 19 cars making the starting line in Minneapolis. Competitors are split into two classes, single-occupant and multi-occupant vehicles, and are judged on how many miles they can log using only solar power across the eight-day, multi-stage route.
One notable absence from the starting line: the host school's own team. Minnesota's Solar Vehicle Project, a past national champion, opted to sit this race out. Team leader Himal Trivedi said the decision came down to safety. "Ultimately what it came down to was we had some engineering issues at the track, and the team made the decision to preserve team member safety," Trivedi said.
Cole Lundequam, another member of the project, said the appeal of the program goes beyond racing — it's the kind of hands-on engineering work that stands out to employers.