Dutch teams shine as Delft takes first, Twente second in World Solar Challenge

The Brunel Solar Team from Delft has won the World Solar Challenge for the eighth time. Solar Team Twente came second in the race for solar-powered cars. The team Innoptus of the KU Leuven finished in third place.

Delft started the closing day in first place, but the last stage was a nervy one for the team. The cars need sunlight, but it was cloudy weather in the south of Australia, where the race was held. Leuven struggled with battery issues due to this, with Twente taking advantage, closing the gap between the two Dutch teams by 11 kilometers to 500 meters.

Delft said it ultimately pulled ahead by making clever use of an aerodynamic fin on the car. The Zuid-Holland team crossed the finish line after 34 hours, 54 minutes, and 21 seconds of driving, 15 minutes ahead of Twente.

The team from Enschede was pleased with second place. “That we did not win is not important. We are proud of what we achieved together,” said team manager Daniël Blik in a statement. He said that he is pleased for the Delft team. "They held on to their lead for a long time and clearly showed their skill."

Students from Delft had already won the race on seven occasions. Their last victory came in 2017. The last two editions were won by teams from KU Leuven.

The organizers congratulated Delft. “Their innovative, dedicated, passionate team is an inspiring part of the story of this race. They have always been strong competitors, and their track record shows it.”

The other Dutch participant, Top Dutch from Groningen, was still racing on Thursday morning. They were in 14th place with around 300 kilometers to go.

The bi-annual race with cars that are solar powered started in the evening hours of Saturday, leading into Sunday. In nearly a week, the solar cars crossed Australia from Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south. It was the first time the race was held during the Australian winter.