A red, boatlike solar car called the UNLIMITED 6.0 travels at highway speeds using roughly the power required to boil a kettle. The Western Sydney University team entered the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, a 3,000km race from Darwin to Adelaide across harsh, remote terrain. Team messages are written on the vehicle's solar panels. Micah Honan serves as electrical lead, addressing a 2025 design challenge to maintain efficiency with reduced sunlight as the event is held in winter for the first time. Thirty-four cars from 17 countries will test solar vehicle innovations that could influence future designs.
Zipping through the Australian outback this weekend is a red car looking more race boat than sedan and which travels at highway speeds using about the same amount of power it takes to boil a kettle. When and if this futuristic looking craft the UNLIMITED 6.0 crosses the finish line for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Adelaide, its team from Western Sydney University will probably celebrate with something a bit stiffer than a cup of tea.
Among the messages of support written on the vehicle's solar panels for the engineering students trying to develop breakthroughs in solar car design, is one that reads: get this man a beer. No doubt the team will deserve a cold drink after a gruelling 3,000km race from Darwin across some of the world's harshest and most remote terrain. But it won't be all blokes who will be celebrating.
Returning for her second race, veteran Micah Honan has taken on the role of electrical lead one of added significance in 2025 with a new design challenge for the race of ensuring the car runs efficiently with reduced sunlight this year's event is being held in winter for the first time. There are many solutions for a complicated problem, and everyone solves it a bit differently, Honan said.
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