Belgian solar-powered car third in the first Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge
The solar-powered car made by the Leuven-based Punch Powertrain Solar Team finished third in the Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge, the first race for solar-powered vehicles in the Middle East. An American team won the race. Over the course of the four-day race, a total of 1,200 km was covered by 15 university teams from 10 different countries.
The Belgian team were aiming for a place in the top three, but were especially pleased to be the first four-wheeled vehicle to finish. This is no mean feat because the majority of the participants drove in three-wheelers, which do not have to contend with as much friction.
The Punch Powertrain Solar Team from the University of Leuven builds a new solar-powered vehicle every two years. The vehicle measures 4.5 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and only 1.27 metres high. The vehicle weighs around 170 kg without a driver. The electric motors drive the back wheels and work at 97% efficiency. This allows the vehicle to reach a top speed of 130 km/h, powered only by solar energy. The team is made up of 17 students from Group T at the University of Leuven.
Taking part in the Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge was mainly an opportunity to try out all the new features, including testing the efficiency of the new solar panels, in the run-up to the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia (the official world championship for solar-powered vehicles). Following the excellent performance in Abu Dhabi, the team members think there is a strong chance of bettering last year’s sixth place this year.