IE interviewed Bob van Gingkel, the technical manager at Solar Team Eindhoven, responsible for creating the world's first off-road solar car.
For a span of more than two years, a student team undertakes the construction of a solar-powered solution from the ground up, subjecting it to real-world trials.The Stella brand is renowned for its lineup of solar-powered vehicles, catering to various needs from compact two-seaters to spacious family. But, what makes it intriguing is that each of these cars is meticulously designed by a team of students from of Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands.
The team built components from scratch to deliver an off-road solar vehicle. “We are always five to 10 years ahead of the market, and there are no ready off-the-shelf solutions that we can use,” van Gingkel toldWhen Gingkel mentions that the student team constructed the vehicle, he refers to the team’s process of designing components from the ground up and collaborating with industrial partners eager to engage with them in sourcing these elements.
“The MPPT controller used in the Terra has an output of 400 volts,” van den Broek said. “The MPPT used on other solar cars has an output of 12 or 24 volts. This meant that these controllers needed two steps before charging that battery,” he explained. With their newer controller, the Stella team can charge the battery in a single step, which improves the controller’s efficiency to 97 percent.
The Solar Team has cultivated a strong relationship with the automotive industry, which extends support by providing parts.
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