Durham University solar car completes Australian challenge

A solar-powered car designed and built by Durham University students has completed a 3,000km (1,864-mile) race across the Australian outback.

The Durham team’s three-wheeled vehicle finished 11th in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge’s main race – the best placing for a British team to date.

Students took turns driving in temperatures up to 40C (104F).

One student said it was “amazing” as it was the first time the university had completed the race.

Team member Vedika Bedi, said: “Durham has never finished a solar challenge before and this is the fifth race we’ve been to – so just finishing for us as a university is amazing.”

The six-day long race was held between 22 and 29 October. The race has been held every two years since 1987 with the exception of 2021 when it was cancelled due to Covid-19.

Fourth year electrical engineering student Ms Bedi said three drivers took turns to drive the single-seater car from 08:00 to 17:00 every day.

The car battery was charged by solar rays during the day.

Ms Bedi followed the car in a support vehicle and the team camped in the outback each night.

“It got really cold at night. We all had like 10 layers on,” she said.

The journey in the solar itself was not the most comfortable, she said.

“It’s quite bumpy and can get quite hot in there.”

The team is now working on a solar car to use in next year’s European Solar Challenge in Belgium which is a 24-hour endurance race on a former F1 track.