October 2023 · Darwin to Adelaide, Australia

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2023

Our first race outside Europe. EV3 covered about 1,200 km on solar power alone and crossed the finish line in Adelaide.

The team with EV3 under the finish arch in Adelaide.

on solar power alone: 1,200km
length of the route: 3,020km

Vehicle	Class	Distance	Result	Details
Solis EV3	Challenger	about 1,200 km on solar power	—	—

How it went.

With Solis EV3.

Getting to the start was a race of its own. Construction ran late, so there was no time to ship the vehicle by sea. We had to find a flight that would take a "parcel" 5 metres long and 2 metres wide, and the vehicle reached Darwin in the last hours available for scrutineering.

Team manager Eric-Gabriel Lefter and three teammates went out two weeks early as the first Solis "delegation". The rest of the team followed over the next days. On the route, the highway has one lane each way, and road trains with up to four trailers pass a few metres from the solar vehicle.

EV3 covered about 1,200 km using only solar power and became the first Romanian solar vehicle to finish an international competition outside Europe.

“Solis EV3 was probably the biggest challenge of my life. An experience full of ups and downs where you were never sure what was coming. It was also one of the best experiences I have had.”
Eric-Gabriel Lefter, Solis EV3 team manager

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

How the race works.

About 3,000 km on public roads, from Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south. The vehicles set off every morning at 08:00 and stop at 17:00 wherever they are, and the team camps by the road. There are compulsory control stops along the way.

Challenger class

Single-seat vehicles built for speed and efficiency. The first to Adelaide wins. The solar array is at most 6 m² and the battery at most 11 MJ, about 3 kWh.

Cruiser class

Vehicles with two or more seats, also judged on how practical they are. The battery may hold up to 55 MJ.

Control stops

At every control stop the vehicle waits for 30 minutes. Nobody in the team may touch it until the last five minutes, and repairs are not allowed, not even a strip of tape.

Charging

Once the race starts, the only source of energy is the sun. In the morning, the evening and at control stops, the panel is tilted towards it to charge the battery.