In what can solely be described as one of the vital difficult years we’ve seen, groups competing within the 2024 Electrek Formulation Solar Grand Prix (FSGP) discovered themselves navigating spotty climate, an unfamiliar observe, and for some, vital mechanical points on the eleventh hour.
The ultimate day of the FSGP observe even concluded on Thursday, July 18. Following the awards ceremony that night, occasion officers introduced which groups would advance to Saturday’s 1,550+ mile Electrek American Photo voltaic Problem (ASC) cross-country principal occasion.
As a reminder, ASC is a biannual occasion. Throughout race seasons, the FSGP serves as a pre-qualifier for college students to show that their photo voltaic car is succesful and secure to trek over a thousand miles on public roads. This 12 months, the 2024 Electrek American Photo voltaic Problem will begin in Nashville, TN, and comply with 7 nationwide historic trails all the way in which to Casper, WY. Extra on this additional down!
To qualify for ASC, groups are required to realize a selected mileage in the course of the FSGP. It comes out to be both:
- 205 miles (66 laps) in at some point on the observe
- Or 308 miles (98 laps) in two consecutive days
One of the crucial dramatic moments occurred when Standford College’s photo voltaic automotive was unable to go “scrutineering” (a really thorough inspection of a car’s mechanics) because of the kind of braking mechanism used. The staff’s car used a brake system from a mountain bike (critically), which is allowed within the World Photo voltaic Problem (WSC) in Australia however not sanctioned by the FSGP/ASC.
In a mad sprint to native {hardware} shops round Bowling Inexperienced, Kentucky, Standford’s staff was capable of put collectively and set up new brake strains, however not earlier than the morning of day three (the ultimate day of racing). After being plagued with just a few different minor points the identical day, they had been capable of put in 10 laps (31.5 miles). Sadly, not sufficient to qualify for ASC.
Stanford’s Photo voltaic Automotive Challenge has a famend historical past of success and even performed an enormous position within the early days of Tesla. JB Straubel, Tesla’s co-founder and former CTO, participated within the Stanford photo voltaic automotive staff throughout his time on the college. He even referred to as the mission ‘key’ to Tesla’s inception, as many members had been recruited to assist begin the corporate.
Electrek Formulation Solar Grand Prix winners
École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS) out of Montreal, which interprets to Superior Expertise Faculty, emerged as the general winner within the Single-Occupant Automobile (SOV) class, finishing the best variety of laps over the three-day occasion. ETS’s car Éclipse, which additionally competed within the World Photo voltaic Problem in 2023 and took three years to construct, had a novel approach to assist preserve its photo voltaic array cool to assist with effectivity. You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of that within the video under.
First Place: #92 Éclipse (215 laps / 677.25 miles)
Second Place: #32 Principia (189 laps / 539.35 miles)
Third Place: #17 Illinois State (149 laps / 469.35 miles)
Quickest Lap: Jae Received Hwang from #6 Berkeley. 4:21.414 time / 43.4 mph common
Within the Multi-Occupant Automobile class (MOV), one other Québécois-based college, Polytechnique Montreal, took dwelling first of their two-seater photo voltaic automotive Estaban (v11). Whereas App State technically accomplished extra laps than Poly Montreal, the MOV class rating relies on a rating calculated by a formulation that features the quantity of exterior charging (non-solar charging) utilized by a staff. 26.5% of App State’s energy was exterior, whereas Polytechnique used 100% photo voltaic power for your complete time all three days.
First Place: #55 Poly Montreal (88.57 rating / 165 laps)
Second Place: #828 App State (36.53 rating / 201 laps)
Third Place: #35 Minnesota (20.16 rating / 158 laps)
Quickest Lap: Logan Staubus from #9 Iowa State. 4:38.223 time / 40.8 mph common
Qualifying groups
The next SOV groups will transfer on to compete within the Electrek American Photo voltaic Problem:
- #92 ETS
- #32 Principia
- #17 Illinois State
- #5 Florida
- #6 Berkeley
- #1 Purdue
The next SOV groups have been granted provisional qualification:
- #26 British Columbia
- #22 Ilinois
- #12 Texas A&M
- #2 Michigan
- #786 Western Michigan
The MOV groups will transfer on to compete within the Electrek American Photo voltaic Problem:
- #828 App State
- #55 Poly Montreal
- #35 Minnesota
- #9 Iowa State
MOV provisional qualification:
Electrek American Photo voltaic Problem kicks off!
As we speak was Show Day in Nashville, TN, at Journey Science Middle, because the qualifying colleges not solely confirmed off the unbelievable engineering that went into their photo voltaic autos but additionally gave the general public a glimpse of the potential of solar-powered transportation.
The 2024 Electrek American Photo voltaic Problem is an 8-day, 1,550+ mile competitors divided into 4 levels. Starting tomorrow, July twentieth, at 9 a.m. ET, groups will go away Nashville, TN, and journey alongside seven Nationwide Historic Trails in partnership with the Nationwide Parks Service, ultimately ending up in Casper, Wyoming.
Just like the FSGP, the race isn’t essentially time-based.
“Single-Occupant Automobiles will compete to the whole probably the most miles by driving non-compulsory loops on the checkpoint and stage stops. Multi-Occupant Automobiles will compete for the best rating by maximizing their practicality rating and person-miles travelled whereas minimizing the quantity of grid-charging wanted,” based on the ASC.
Electrek American Photo voltaic Problem Schedule
- Stage 1:
- Stage 2:
- Stage 3:
- Stage 4:
See the American Photo voltaic Problem’s official web site for extra particulars.
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