Students race through the outback to support a sustainable future
University of Adelaide students will race through the outback in a specially designed solar-powered vehicle – which they built themselves – as part of the world’s biggest solar challenge event, charting a route from Darwin to Adelaide this October.
The Adelaide University Solar Racing team consists of 25 individuals and is led by student Christian Sanderson, as well as student leaders Reily Clavell, Ruby Allen, and Nicholas Calvo, all of whom are 4th year Mechanical Engineering students from the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.
The group is excited to be competing in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, which runs from 22 to 29 October 2023.
"Our team has been awesome to work with,” said Mr Sanderson, a 4th year student studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide.
“We’ve faced a lot of challenges and worked hard, but we’ve also had a lot of fun. Everyone is very excited for the trip to Darwin and being together, and we’re all looking forward to meeting different people from around the world and racing through the outback with them."
The World Solar Challenge consists of competing teams from across the world – usually comprised of tertiary and secondary students – traversing 3,000 kilometres from Darwin to Adelaide in solar-powered vehicles meticulously designed, engineered, and crafted by each team. This also provides a platform for each team to showcase their technological innovation on a global stage.
"We really value participating not only for the challenge and opportunity, but also so we can assist in the global movement towards sustainable transportation solutions."Christian Sanderson, University of Adelaide student
“We really value participating not only for the challenge and opportunity, but also so we can assist in the global movement towards sustainable transportation solutions,” said Mr Sanderson.
“We also really value meeting other teams from around the world and sharing our knowledge and experiences. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime which will not only test our car, but challenge our team's skills, resilience, and problem-solving to help us all grow as individuals.”
For over 30 years, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge has welcomed the greatest minds from around the world to Australia to push the limits of technological innovation and travel the outback in a vehicle powered only by the energy of the sun.
To learn more about the World Solar Challenge visit: https://worldsolarchallenge.org/
Media contacts
Poppy Nwosu, Media Officer, the University of Adelaide. Mobile: +61 8 8313 0814. Email: poppy.nwosu@adelaide.edu.au