18 October 2023 | TU/e student team Solar Team Eindhoven has reached the end point of their 1,000-kilometer test drive, from northern Morocco to the Sahara, with the world’s first off-road solar car Stella Terra. In Morocco, the solar car travelled through dry riverbeds, forest area, along steep mountain trails and through the loose desert sand.
“It was an incredible trip with a positive ending. Stella Terra’s efficiency was hard to predict. That’s why we weren’t sure if we would make it on solar power. During the ride, Stella Terra turned out to use 30 percent less energy than expected. We were able to drive the entire trip on the sun’s energy and did not depend on charging stations,” explains team manager Wisse Bos.
The solar energy for Stella Terra is collected by solar panels on the roof. With these solar panels and its robust construction, Stella Terra achieves complete independence in a sustainable manner, anywhere in the world. This solar car, which is road legal, has a top speed of 145 kilometers per hour, weighs only 1,200 kilograms, and has a range of 710 kilometers on a sunny day. Off road, the range averages about 550 kilometers, depending on the surface.
To read the full article and learn more about Stella Terra, visit the website of Eindhoven University of Technology. Extract courtesy of TU/e.
