U-M wins American Solar Car Challenge for the fifth time

Wednesday, July 30, 2008 | Source: Concentrate
The University of Michigan's Solar Car Team makes it look too easy. The team just won the 2008 North American Solar Challenge, giving it five wins in nine races. That would make enough solar-panel rings for each finger... if the organizers actually made those for the winners.

U-M's team hit the gas, errr.. sun, for 2,400 miles between Plano, Texas and Calgary. and beat the runner-up by 10 hours.

The solar car has traditionally been a maize-and-blue, Jetsons-like vehicle that is long, flat and covered in solar panels. The car is designed and built by about 200 students, mostly undergraduates from all reaches of the university, including the engineering school, business and LS&A schools.

These teams have been building the solar cars and winning races since 1990. Some of the cars are in display in a number of prestigious museums across the country, such as The Henry Ford.

To read more about this year's team check out their blog.

Source: University of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
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Engineering, Higher Education, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, University Of Michigan 

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