Eco Race team launches its 2013 solar-powered vehicle
02 January 2013
Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) team has been forced to design a radical new solar car in its attempt to win the 3,000km World Solar Challenge.
The team, based in the Department of Engineering, Cambridge University had spent nine months developing a car to race in 2013 when an unexpected rule change forced them to abandon the motorbike-like prototype in June. However, the team embraced the challenge to change their design and are confident they now have something even better.
As with the motorcycle concept, the team has taken an unconventional approach to creating a solar-powered car, using aerodynamics to drive the design rather than the maximum allowed solar panel area.
Code-name "Daphne", the design has been officially launched to the public and is now being built with the help of loyal sponsors, Department staff and alumni. Like its unfinished predecessor, it is a clean break from the now-ingrained vision of a solar car being a large, mainly flat surface on three wheels and is hoped to lead the future of solar car racing.
The car launch evening was held before Christmas at Queens' College with speeches from Professor Tony Purnell, the former team principal of the Jaguar Racing and Red Bull Racing Formula 1 teams, and Dr Ivor Grayson-Smith, a judge of the World Solar Challenge.
You can follow the team's progress on their website: www.cuer.co.uk and on twitter @CUERSolarTeam