Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 76 "This is about the lowest emissions car you can make," remarks electrical engineering junior and Team President Scott Smith. "A cornerstone of our club is promoting environmental sustainability." In addition to developing technology ap- plicable to everyday travel—such as Tesla's Cybertruck, for example, which is offered with optional mounted solar panels—the car provides members with critical expe- rience for future work in the renewable energy sector. While the production of necessary parts and materials used in the vehicle is not emission free (these parts represent the most substantive expense in its creation as well), the vehicle produc- es zero emissions and is inexpensive to operate once built. "Solar could be a viable option in the future," continues Smith. "With some modifications, these could charge up to forty miles of range per day for free, which would more than offset the distance that most people travel." The Team has been hard at work on the solar car for the better part of three years, ever since recent MSU alum and founder Levi Allery returned from the 2017 World Solar Challenge inspired to establish an MSU solar team for the first time in twenty years. While the team loses a few members each year to graduation, its numbers have been steadily growing over the past three years. The current team of twenty-five represents a diverse collection of majors and skill sets—from engineering to film to business—which allows for all aspects of the design, production, fundraising, and PR for the team to be handled effectively, efficiently and in-house. The inaugural competitive showing for the Bridger Beamer was slated for this past July at the 2019 Formula Sun Grand Prix. The three-day race in Austin, Texas, involved teams from across the country racing three eight-hour days in single- and multi-occupant vehicles on Aus- tin's Circuit of the Americas 3.426-mile Formula 1 racetrack. At nearly 400 pounds and fourteen feet long, the Beamer was replete with a Mitsuba motor, steel tubular frame, 800W silicon array and a 5.18 kWh lithium ion battery (or 408 individual batteries). However, issues arose during the manufacturing process of the car in the spring of 2019 that resulted in safety concerns surrounding its overall integrity. The Team made the difficult decision to forgo the Formula Sun to redirect those additional travel resources toward an improved vehicle for the 2020 race. The vehicle's current iteration incorpo- rates those strategic and mechanical lessons learned. "It will be safer, lighter, and more aerodynamic," remarks Smith. "We expect it to have a maximum speed of around 65 mph and a range of over 100 miles." MSU's Solar Car by JESSICA BAYRAMIAN BYERLY A S OF OCTOBER 21, 2015, BACK TO THE FUTURE WAS IN THE PAST. Hoverboards and questionable fashion statements included, the fodder of our decades-old imaginations has been realized tenfold. And then some. But, little did anyone realize how much technological advancement—particularly in the realm of transporta- tion—would be driven by ecology rather than aesthetics. Just as artificial intelligence marches the work sector toward automation and an evolving future for employment, technology is transforming the manner and means of transporta- tion in ways both innovative and environmentally sound. And that future may very well be solar. An inquisitive multi- disciplinary team from Bozeman's Montana State University (MSU) sure thinks so. The Bridger Solar Team's (Team) solar-powered car is soon to give the time-hopping DeLorean a near zero-emissions run for its money. "Your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one." – Doc Brown, Back to the Future The Future Is Bright: "SOLAR COULD BE A VIABLE OPTION IN THE FUTURE. WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS, THESE COULD CHARGE UP TO FORTY MILES OF RANGE PER DAY FOR FREE, WHICH WOULD MORE THAN OFFSET THE DISTANCE THAT MOST PEOPLE TRAVEL."

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