Meet Stella – the solar-powered family car

A group of Dutch researchers has created a family car which is fully powered by solar. Called Stella, the boxy vehicle by Solar Team Eindhoven at the Eindhoven University of […]

A group of Dutch researchers has created a family car which is fully powered by solar.

Called Stella, the boxy vehicle by Solar Team Eindhoven at the Eindhoven University of Technology resembles a squashed train carriage from the front while towards the rear the huge solar panel-covered roof slopes to a point like an aerodynamic aeroplane wing.

Last week the design was officially approved to use the public roads in the Netherlands by the Government Road Transport Agency (RDW).

However the car is unlikely to get out and about on Dutch streets in the near future because it is gearing up to enter an international race in Australia, the World Solar Challenge, in October.

Lex Hoefsloot, the car’s team manager said: “The team are certainly happy with this approval, but right now their top priority is the guarantee of taking part in the World Solar Challenge with a functioning car. We’re now making the final preparations on the test track and after that we’ll get ready to ship everything to Australia.”

Stella will be competing in the 3,000km competition through the Australian desert in the Cruiser class which focuses on making a practical and user-friendly solar-powered car rather than speed alone.

 

Image copyright: Bart van Overbeeke

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