Leuven students qualify 3rd for 8-day US solar car race

The KU Leuven Innoptus Solar Team has qualified in third place for the Electrek American Solar Challenge, an eight-day race for solar-powered cars spanning from Minnesota to Texas. The team will begin defending their podium position and vying for the win on Saturday.

To qualify, teams had to complete a minimum number of laps on a circuit in Minnesota. The Leuven students surpassed this requirement, completing over 100 laps on the first day of qualification alone. Despite experiencing two flat tires, the team reported no major technical issues, positioning them third overall behind teams from ETS in Canada and Delft in the Netherlands.

Pilot Wout Maes, 23, expressed the team's eagerness to start the race. "The team is very keen to get started. We have worked for a whole year to prepare for this," he said. "The car is very performant and reliable and has proven itself well over the past month in America." The students have dedicated the entire year to refining the vehicle.

This marks the Leuven team's debut in the Electrek American Solar Challenge. Last year, the Innoptus team achieved a third-place finish at the World Championship held in Australia, showcasing their consistent performance in solar car racing.

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The team is very keen to get started. We have worked for a whole year to prepare for this. The car is very performant and reliable and has proven itself well over the past month in America.