For Team Sonnenwagen Aachen, sustainable mobility concepts and solar technologies are crucial for the future. As an association of enthusiastic students, the team would like to make a collective effort to help achieve this. Therefore, it is developing a new solar car for worldwide participation in emission-free races.

Normally, the team would be preparing for the 2021 World Solar Challenge (WSC) in Australia, building a solar car that can cross the entire continent. However, the pandemic has not passed the Aachen students by. Due to the current situation, this year’s WSC was cancelled. However, the team did not let this affect them. From the beginning it was clear: a new solar car will be built.

After the cancellation, the European solar teams teamed up with the experienced rally organizer “Classic Events” to create a new event – the Solar Challenge Morocco 2021 (SCM). The Challenge will challenge solar racing teams to demonstrate their technical innovations and years of experience in solar-powered technology in Morocco in October 2021. In anticipation of a competitive race, the Aachen-based team will compete in the Challenge with the newly developed Sonnenwagen 3. Only those who have developed the most innovative and efficient solar car and can withstand the challenges of Morocco will be victorious.

Team Sonnenwagen Aachen is an association of students from RWTH Aachen University and FH Aachen University who develop and build highly efficient solar cars themselves to show what tomorrow’s mobility could look like. Driven by a strong pioneering spirit and an enthusiasm for sustainable, innovative and efficient technologies, the third generation Sonnenwagen is currently being built in their workshop in Aachen. The race car incorporates 2 years of development, more than 6 years of experience and financial as well as technical support from several partners from the German and international industry.

The concept

“The SCM 2021 is a brand-new challenge for us,” says Simon Quinker, 2nd chairman of the association, “The event offers the opportunity for us to co-create a Solar Challenge to demonstrate our technical innovations in a new environment.”

The SCM has it all with its 5 stages over a combined 2500 km in 5 days. The starting and finishing point of the race, which runs on public roads and through the Sahara Desert, is Agadir, a port city in southern Morocco.

New format, new challenges

Compared to the World Solar Challenge in Australia, there are significant differences in Morocco: In contrast to the WSC, where the teams drove through in one piece, the SCM is divided into different stages. The 5 respective stage times decide the winner of the race. In an unknown country there are different circumstances. For the German team it will be the first time in Morocco and on the African continent. Many preparations must be made for this. The entire supply, accommodation and logistics of a 45-member team, a high-tech solar car and a portable workshop have to be planned for several weeks – all this from a distance.

Despite the huge challenge, Team Sonnenwagen is more motivated than ever and is in the midst of preparations for the upcoming challenge. With enthusiasm and determination, the team is charging towards the front of the field in Morocco.