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The CAValier: World's First Ever Off-Road Solar-Powered Car Shines In The Sahara

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Category: CAValier Lifestyle
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Photo of Stella Terra car and team in Sahara.
Stella Terra, here on a roadtrip through Morocco, is the world's first off-road solar-powered car. Developed by the student team Solar Team Eindhoven, Stella Terra is the first solar car that is robust and efficient enough to go off the beaten path. With this, the students take another step towards a sustainable future, inspiring both society and the current market to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. 
Credit: STE / Rien Boonstoppel

"Batteries? Where we are going we don't need batteries" - Certainly we will not need traditionally charged EV batteries if you find yourself behind the wheel of a solar powered car, such as the Stella Terra.

You got that: solar powered car. 

And so we might spin the famous Back To the Future movie quote made timeless when Marty McFly asked Doc Brown about the roads of the future. You may recall that Doc Brown squinted curiously at Marty and said, "We we are going we don't need roads." 

Then the car flew. 

(Maverick's Note: By the way, what a great transportation movie, right? Flying cars powered by recycled waste? Certainly hints at a more sustainable future. Okay, now we getting ahead of ourselves here at MG.) 

Still, we may not need chargeable EV car batteries in the traditional sense. We are talking solar powered EV batteries that can keep an EV going long and far. Let's switch gears on pop references and queue up that unforgettable Beatles tune: Here Comes the Sun. 

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's alright

Indeed, here comes the Sun as in solar power. 

Here Comes The Stella Terra

The Stella Terra car is powered by the sun and the sustainability implications of doing so are profound. 

This was no more underscored then when Solar Team Eindhoven, a TU/e student team, based out of the Netherlands, successfully completed a 620 mile test drive from northern Morocco to the African Sahara using their groundbreaking off-road solar car, the Stella Terra. 

This solar powered car navigated through various terrains such as dry riverbeds, forest areas, steep mountain trails, and loose desert sand--a daunting task for any car let alone a solar powered one. 

The Stella Terra, a groundbreaking off-road solar car, surpassed initial predictions by showcasing remarkable efficiency. It achieved an impressive range of approximately 340 miles, although it's important to consider that this range is dependent on the specific terrain conditions encountered by the vehicle.

The folks on Solar Team Eindhoven had a lot of well-deserved honking of their own horn: 

"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. " -- STE team manager, Wisse Bos.

Cool beans. Let's delve into the mechanics of the Stella Terra solar car.

The Stella Terra harnesses solar energy through its rooftop solar panels. This solar car is designed to promote worldwide self-sufficiency in an environmentally sustainable way. It's road-legal and can reach a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour. With its lightweight construction of only about 2,640 pounds, it can go an impressive 440 miles on sunny days. When you take it off-road, the average range is around 340 miles, although this number can vary depending on surface conditions.

"Stella Terra must endure the rigorous demands of off-roading while maintaining optimal efficiency and weight to operate solely on solar power. As a result, we meticulously engineered nearly every aspect of Stella Terra, from the suspension system to the solar panel inverters." -- STE team manager, Wisse Bos.

We are duly impressed. So too is mobility expert and professor Maarten Steinbuch from TU/e, who put this engineering feat into context: 

"It is already difficult in normal conditions to build an energy-efficient car that can handle rough conditions, let alone to integrate solar panels into the car as well. I haven't seen anyone do that yet..."

According to the STE team, the Stella Terra is significantly ahead of the current market by a margin of five to ten years. 

"We are pushing the boundaries of technology. With Stella Terra, we want to demonstrate that the transition to a sustainable future offers reasons for optimism and encourage individuals and companies to accelerate the energy transition." -- STE team manager, Wisse Bos. 

Well done. Now then, why is everything so heavy in the future? Is something wrong with the Earth's gravity? (Okay, couldn't help adding another Back To the Future reference). 

About Solar Team Eindhoven

Solar Team Eindhoven builds amazing solar-powered vehicles that are super-efficient! They've won the family car class (Cruiser Class) at the World Solar Challenge in Australia four times in a row, showing us the endless possibilities for a sustainable future in mobility. They really inspire and motivate others to join in and speed up the energy transition.

Maverick Recommends

Here are some additional resources to check out. 

About Maverick

  • "Maverick" is the call sign of Mobile Gnosis publisher and editor-in-chief, Matt De Reno. Additionally, Matt is a president of Scratch Writing, author of the thriller novel The Midas Protocol: Midas Files Book One, and is previous web portal manager at SAE International. 

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