The Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) Innoptus Solar Team has secured second place in the qualifying round for the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa, in which teams compete in solar cars they themselves have made.
Beginning on Friday in Johannesburg, the Sasol Solar Challenge is an eight-day race that sees teams make their way to Cape Town in cars powered exclusively by solar energy. Participants aim to cover as much distance as possible by repeatedly completing loops in the course, with a target distance of over 4,000 kilometres.
The vast distance, intense heat, significant altitude variations, and rugged public roads render this South African competition one of the most extreme on the planet.
The qualifying round took place on Wednesday at the ‘Red Star Raceway,’ a circuit near Johannesburg spanning roughly four kilometres. The KU Leuven students finished second, behind Delft, but a few seconds ahead of the Twente team. Their endpoint positioning earns them the opportunity to start second in the main race on Friday. A total of ten teams will be participating.
“We are extremely pleased,” said Arne Basteijns, spokesperson for the Innoptus Solar Team. “Given the nature of the race, there’s no absolute necessity to finish first today as the times were quite close. We managed to drive both safely and competitively. The key to the main race is strategic driving to optimise battery use.”
In 2022, the Belgians secured second place in South Africa, once again trailing the Delft team. However, this year, they are decidedly pushing for the top slot.
In October last year, the Leuven students clinched a world championship title in Australia. They are using the same car in South Africa, although it has been upgraded since.
