Best in the West - Stanford Solar Car Victory

FUTEK: That’s right, folks, the results are in and Stanford University placed first out of their competing U.S. teams at the 2013 World Solar Challenge.

After two years of designing, prototyping, developing, testing, and preliminary racing, Stanford’s Solar Car Project Team (SSCP) can successfully say they placed fourth globally in a transcontinental ultra-marathon that spanned 1850 miles through the vast countryside of Australia.

We (FUTEK) were happy to assist the SSCP Team during their design and testing stages by providing them with a rotary torque sensor and instrumentation for their dynamometer. This “dyno” helped the SSCP Team mimic possible racing conditions their motor could encounter during the near 2000-mile stretch. And seeing that they placed fourth out of 48 teams, we’d say this rigorous testing paid off.

Luminos, the eleventh solar car constructed by Stanford, exemplified some incredible technological advancements including two front-wheel drive motors, monocrystalline silicon solar cells, a 3M-designed antireflective layer, and an aerodynamic design that has achieved a distinguishably low tested drag value.

So there wasn't any doubt when Luminos, averaging a speed of 47 mph, rightly earned the “David Fewchuk Spirit of the Event Award” for their ingenuity within the solar car community.

Proud is an understatement. We are ecstatic for the SSCP students. And can’t even begin to imagine what pride Stanford must be feeling.

This outcome is a true testament to the brilliant minds and very bright futures of Stanford’s engineering students. Congratulations team. You're all awesome!