Engineering and computing students at Dublin City University (DCU) have unveiled Ireland’s first solar-powered racing car, ahead of the team’s debut in an international 24-hour endurance challenge in Belgium next month.
The single-seater car has been designed and built by more than 40 DCU students from mechanical and electrical engineering, software engineering and business.
The project has involved four years of research, prototyping and aerodynamic testing.
The vehicle, which is around six metres long, has been designed to maximise energy efficiency and minimise drag.
It features a custom solar array, lightweight composite materials and bespoke telemetry systems, and is powered entirely by solar energy and battery storage.
The team carried out a test drive at Mondello Park in Co Kildare this afternoon as part of preparations for the competition.
The car will be officially unveiled to the public at The Helix at DCU on 9 September at 6pm.
The students will then represent Ireland at the iLumen European Solar Challenge at Circuit Zolder in Belgium on 19 and 20 September.
The 24-hour endurance race brings together university engineering teams from around the world, with competitors required to balance speed, energy management and battery efficiency.
Rian Gill, Team Principal and Lead Engineer at DCU Solar Racing, said the project represented the culmination of four years of work.
“It’s been incredible to see the work done over the past 4 years and to see all the effort pay off.”
He said the project was the result of the work of the students, university and industry partners.
Jennifer Bruton, Executive Dean of DCU’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing, said the project demonstrated the practical and multidisciplinary skills of the university’s students.
She said the students were showing that sustainable transport solutions could be developed through “dedication, teamwork, multidisciplinary hands-on application, and vision.”
The DCU team will now put its vehicle to the test against international university teams in one of the world’s few 24-hour solar-powered vehicle endurance competitions.