In what can only be described as one of the most challenging years we’ve seen, teams competing in the 2024 Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) found themselves navigating spotty weather, an unfamiliar track, and for some, critical mechanical issues at the eleventh hour.
The final day of the FSGP track even concluded on Thursday, July 18. Following the awards ceremony that evening, event officials announced which teams would advance to Saturday’s 1,550+ mile Electrek American Solar Challenge (ASC) cross-country main event.
As a reminder, ASC is a biannual event. During race seasons, the FSGP serves as a pre-qualifier for students to prove that their solar vehicle is capable and safe to trek over a thousand miles on public roads. This year, the 2024 Electrek American Solar Challenge will start in Nashville, TN, and follow 7 national historic trails all the way to Casper, WY. More on this further down!
To qualify for ASC, teams are required to achieve a specific mileage during the FSGP. It comes out to be either:
- 205 miles (66 laps) in one day on the track
- Or 308 miles (98 laps) in two consecutive days
One of the most dramatic moments occurred when Standford University’s solar car was unable to pass “scrutineering” (a very thorough inspection of a vehicle’s mechanics) due to the type of braking mechanism used. The team’s vehicle used mountain bike brakes, which are allowed in the World Solar Challenge (WSC) in Australia but not sanctioned by the FSGP/ASC.
In a mad dash to local hardware stores around Bowling Green, Kentucky, Standford’s team was able to put together and install new brake lines, but not before the morning of day three (the final day of racing). After being plagued with a few other minor issues the same day, they were able to put in 10 laps (31.5 miles). Unfortunately, not enough to qualify for ASC.
Stanford’s Solar Car Project has a renowned history of success and even played a huge role in the early days of Tesla. JB Straubel, Tesla’s co-founder and former CTO, participated in the Stanford solar car team during his time at the university. He even called the project ‘key’ to Tesla’s inception, as many members were recruited to help start the company.
Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix winners
École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS) out of Montreal, which translates to Superior Technology School, emerged as the overall winner in the Single-Occupant Vehicle (SOV) class, completing the highest number of laps over the three-day event. ETS’s vehicle Éclipse, which also competed in the World Solar Challenge in 2023 and took 3 years to build, had a unique way to help keep its solar array cool to help with efficiency. You can catch a glimpse of that in the video below.
First Place: #92 Éclipse (215 laps / 677.25 miles)
Second Place: #32 Principia (189 laps / 539.35 miles)
Third Place: #17 Illinois State (149 laps / 469.35 miles)
Fastest Lap: Jae Won Hwang from #6 Berkeley. 4:21.414 time / 43.4 mph average
In the Multi-Occupant Vehicle class (MOV), another Québécois-based school, Polytechnique Montreal, took home first in their two-seater solar car Estaban (v11). While App State technically completed more laps than Poly Montreal, the MOV class ranking is based on a score calculated by a formula that includes the amount of external charging (non-solar charging) used by a team. 26.5% of App State’s power was external, while Polytechnique used 100% solar for the entire three days.
First Place: #55 Poly Montreal (88.57 score / 165 laps)
Second Place: #828 App State (36.53 score / 201 laps)
Third Place: #35 Minnesota (20.16 score / 158 laps)
Fastest Lap: Logan Staubus from #9 Iowa State. 4:38.223 time / 40.8 mph average
Qualifying teams
The following SOV teams will move on to compete in the Electrek American Solar Challenge:
- #92 ETS
- #32 Principia
- #17 Illinois State
- #5 Florida
- #6 Berkeley
- #1 Purdue
The following SOV teams have been granted provisional qualification:
- #26 British Columbia
- #22 Ilinois
- #12 Texas A&M
- #2 Michigan
- #786 Western Michigan
The MOV teams will move on to compete in the Electrek American Solar Challenge:
- #828 App State
- #55 Poly Montreal
- #35 Minnesota
- #9 Iowa State
MOV provisional qualification:
Electrek American Solar Challenge kicks off!
Today was Display Day in Nashville, TN, at Adventure Science Center, as the qualifying schools not only showed off the incredible engineering that went into their solar vehicles but also gave the public a glimpse of the potential of solar-powered transportation.
The 2024 Electrek American Solar Challenge is an 8-day, 1,550+ mile competition divided into four stages. Beginning tomorrow, July 20th, at 9 a.m. ET, teams will leave Nashville, TN, and travel along seven National Historic Trails in partnership with the National Parks Service, eventually ending up in Casper, Wyoming.
Similar to the FSGP, the race isn’t necessarily time-based.
“Single-Occupant Vehicles will compete to the complete the most miles by driving optional loops at the checkpoint and stage stops. Multi-Occupant Vehicles will compete for the highest score by maximizing their practicality score and person-miles travelled while minimizing the amount of grid-charging needed,” according to the ASC.
Electrek American Solar Challenge Schedule
- Stage 1:
- Stage 2:
- Stage 3:
- Stage 4:
See the American Solar Challenge’s official website for more details.
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