U of T Engineering’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team wins bronze
Staff
General Automotive solar power University of TorontoThe Horizon vehicle made the trip with an official time of 62 hours, 11 minutes and three seconds, powered only by electricity generated from sunlight.
Canada has another bronze medal to add to its collection. The University of Toronto Engineering’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team has finished third at the American Solar Challenge 2016.
Horizon, the solar car designed, built and raced by the University of Toronto’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team races across Missouri on August 3 during Day 4 of the American Solar Challenge 2016. (Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Solar Racing)
Of the 16 solar cars from colleges and universities across Canada, the United States and Switzerland, only 11 completed the challenge course. UofT Engineering’s Horizon, the eighth-generation vehicle, finished third in the eight-day rally-style solar car race.
The Horizon vehicle made the trip with an official time of 62 hours, 11 minutes and three seconds, powered only by electricity generated from sunlight.
Horizon was officially unveiled last summer and competed in the biennial World Solar Challenge in Australia, where it placed 12th in a field of 27 vehicles in October 2015. Since racing in Australia, the team has made some modifications to meet the safety regulations of the American Solar Challenge.
The eighth-generation, custom-built solar car boasts several design innovations, including adopting a catamaran-shaped aerobody, improved seams, lighter batteries and more sophisticated safety systems.
Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Solar Racing.
The race itself is divided into four stages, covering 1,975 miles through the American Midwest states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska, finishing at Wind Cave National Park near Hot Springs, South Dakota.
“We always knew this would be an incredible experience, but to place third is really special,” said Frank Gu (Year 3 ECE), managing director of the Blue Sky Solar Racing team. “It’s a tribute to the hard work of all the team members who have spent countless hours designing, building and testing this vehicle over the last two years.”
“On behalf of the Faculty, my warmest congratulations to the entire team,” said Cristina Amon, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “We are tremendously proud and inspired to see our students shine on the world stage.”
