The University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project team will race its new solar car, Eos II, in the 2017 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, a 1,878-mile race across the Australian Outback from Darwin to Adelaide October 8-15.
The U of M team will compete in a Cruiser Class where practicality, not speed, is the goal. The team’s car will include a few comfort features of regular cars such as a passenger seat, doors, and padded car seats. The car is named after the goddess of the dawn, representing a “new day” for the team. This is the second-generation car with the Eos name and the third car built for the Cruiser Class.
“We designed our car with the efficiency in mind but with a heavier emphasis on comfort and appeal, experiencing the same restrictions and trade-offs seen in the auto industry,” says Graham Krumpelmann, a mechanical engineering student and Solar Vehicle Project director of engineering.
The car has been shipped to Australia. For more information or to support the team, visit the Solar Vehicle Project website.
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