Dutch teams targeting podium finish at solar powered car racing event

Three Dutch teams are targeting a top-three finish at the World Solar Challenge. The bi-annual race, which involves cars that are powered by solar energy, will begin on Sunday. The futuristic-looking vehicles will drive through Australia for a week, from Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south.

The organizers of the unofficial world championship said that they expect participants to once again produce plenty of technical innovations that could make the difference between victory and disappointment.

This will be the first time that the race will be held during the wintertime in Australia. This will bring extra challenges as the sun will shine less than in the summer.

This week, the teams have been busy with their preparations for the race. The Dutch teams are from Delft, Groningen, and Enschede. Students from the TU Delft have won the race on seven occasions in the past. Their last victory came in 2017. The team from Delft hopes that their innovations, including a tail fin that can be mounted or removed depending on the wind, will make the difference this time.

In the last two editions, the team from KU Leuven proved to be the best. This team will also be competing in this year’s event. Qualification will take place on Saturday, before the actual race begins. The result of that will decide the starting grid, as has been the case in other races.

The first Solar Challenge event took place in 1987. This year will mark the 19th edition. The event is about innovation and sustainability through the use of solar energy.