The eighth edition of the iLumen European Solar Challenge commenced at the Zolder circuit on Saturday at 13:00, albeit without Prince Laurent, who could not attend due to illness.
“This race aims to demonstrate to the public that technologies such as solar energy and electric vehicles have immense potential. We achieve this by having students from around the world build a car that must cover the longest distance in 24 hours, powered solely by solar energy,” explained iLumen CEO and organiser Ismaël Ben-Al-Lal. A total of eighteen teams are competing to travel as far as possible in that time frame.
Participating teams can achieve speeds of up to 170 km per hour with their solar cars. However, they must conserve enough energy to last through the night. “This means their average speed will be between 70 and 80 km per hour,” added Ismaël. The cars are permitted to stop twice to recharge their batteries.
Participants are expected to cover a distance of between 1,500 and 1,700 km during the 24-hour period.
