Solar Race Takes Cree LEDs “Down Under”

Posted by Ginny Skalski

Last week, students at Stanford University put their engineering skills to the test at the 2011 World Solar Challenge, a solar-powered car race which covered a remarkable 1,877 miles (!) through the Australian Outback, from Darwin to Adelaide.

The Stanford Solar Car Project (SSCP) brings students together to design, build, test and race solar-powered vehicles – pretty cool, huh?

Well the SSCP, a student-run, donation-funded organization, has been building and racing solar-powered vehicles since 1986. This year, their mission was to be the first American team to win the World Solar Car challenge since General Motors’ Sunraycer in 1987!

This year’s car, named Xenith, was unveiled on Aug.11 and is a 23-percent efficient solar array featuring a three-wheel steering system, glass encapsulated solar panels and a high-efficiency electric motor. The Xenith can travel at 55-60 mph under sun power alone, and can reach higher speeds when using the reserve battery pack. Also on board are Cree’s components – XLamp MC-E LEDs are used for the Xenith’s headlights while XLamp XP-E Amber LEDs are used for sidemarker lights.

 

The Xenith isn’t likely to appear at a dealership any time soon, however the Stanford Solar Car Project provides a real-world chance to test innovative cutting-edge ideas — which could eventually boost the efficiency of everyday autos.

Unfortunately for the Xenith team, while trekking across the Australian Outback, they ran into some gray skies and clouds, preventing them from finishing the solar race. But they weren’t the only ones – this year, only seven of the 37 competing teams were able to cross the finish line. Great job, team and best of luck next year!

To keep up with the SSCP team as they prepare for next year’s race, check out their blog: http://solarcar.stanford.edu/blog. You can also follow the team on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/susolarcar.