At Rutgers University, an undergraduate team of engineers and business students are constructing a car from scratch—powered only by solar energy.
The Rutgers University Solar Team, known as RU Solar, is designing, financing, and constructing its first fully in-house solar car. Solar cars are lightweight, aerodynamic vehicles that utilize solar panels as their sole source of power. They also are the focus of a series of intercollegiate racing challenges.
At the end of the academic year, RU Solar will enter its new car into the 2025 Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) competition, whose location has yet to be announced. FSGP is a three-day, intercollegiate, solar car endurance race that puts cars’ handling, efficiency, and speed to the test. Competing will give RU Solar critical insights about ways to improve their solar car, while giving them experience with renewable energy’s practical applications.
The team was founded in 2016 by Rutgers student Matthew Middelton, who sought to connect the university’s community to solar car racing. The team made significant progress toward race readiness after receiving a donated solar car from the Stanford University Solar Team. After modifying the Stanford car to adhere to FSGP regulations, RU Solar arrived at the 2019 Formula Sun Grand Prix for its first major competition. Although the Stanford Solar Car was deemed ineligible to race, RU Solar had helped move it toward competition readiness.
Following a Covid-19 hiatus, the club regrouped in 2021 with the goal of crafting a fully Rutgers-made vehicle. After three years of work, this goal is approaching completion.
The new car will have a completely new chassis, aerodynamic frame, suspension system, brake system, and electric battery cell system. Each component was created by RU Solar, who applied the knowledge about sustainable energy they gained from university classes.
“We hope to get people excited about solar energy,” said RU Solar President Kelly VazLima, who has led RU Solar into a period of robust membership growth and also helped increase the club’s community outreach. A top priority, VazLima said, is to show the Rutgers community “all the fun applications” solar energy can have when it is integrated into everyday technologies.
Vice President Brian Jin believes solar car racing will eventually “revolutionize the transportation industry.” This may seem like a lofty ambition, but this is really solar car racing’s purpose.
At its core, intercollegiate solar car racing is an opportunity for undergraduate students to pioneer new applications of solar energy technology in the automobile industry. RU Solar members receive first-hand experience with renewable energy and contribute to the global move toward sustainable energy.
Solar car teams from across the world, including Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Japan, also are preparing entries for the 2025 FSGP challenge. Their efforts are helping to maximize battery efficiency, minimize solar panel weight, develop more aerodynamic vehicles, and more.
As RU Solar puts the finishing touches on their solar car entry for the FSGP 2025 competition, the team is building on the accomplishments of other students before them. As the only active collegiate solar car team in New Jersey, the Rutgers Solar Car Team looks forward to representing our state’s dedication to technological, sustainable, and energy efficient innovation at FSGP 2025.