Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 77 Montana State University's Bridger Solar Team Builds Tomorrow's Car, Today The solar car's road from concept to concrete has certain- ly been fraught with its share of potholes. The "solarmobile," the first solar-powered mode of transportation, was a quadricycle introduced at the Tour de Sol in Switzerland in 1985. While some of these cycles used full solar power while others used a solar/ human combo, the few solely solar bicycles later built included large panels or trailers and were cumbersome and impractical. The agility solution proved to be a dissection from the power source: solar charging stations equipped with substantial panels at home now charge modern electric bicycles and motorcycles. But the same solution is not so easily applied to cars. Innovative designs were compromised by the utilitarian need to cover all possible square footage with the photovoltaic (PV) cells that would convert sunlight into electricity and drive their electric motors. This limited power in turn limited the weight and other design fea- tures, requiring that all elements be efficient and lightweight. The resulting ultralight composite bod- ies were, unfortunately, question- ably safe and far less convenient. Still, manufacturers have persevered. In 2013, Solar Team Eindhoven—a multidisciplinary group of students from Eind- hoven University of Technolo- gy in the Netherlands—built Stella, the first solar family car. Since then, they have introduced Stella Lux, Stella Vie and Stella Era, all built to compete at the World Solar Challenge in Australia and all sporting successively more nimble applications of cutting-edge solar and design features. Some of these students founded a startup to take the technology to the street. They announced plans this past June for production of the Lightyear One, a prototype all-electric solar car with production scheduled for 2021. Pre-or- ders are currently being taken for the $135,000 all-wheel-drive, hatchback solar plug-in hybrid. Hyundai also recently launched a vehicle with rooftop-mounted solar panels capable of generating electricity to charge the car's batteries. Future transportation industry innovations include designs for trains, ships, buses, and more. As solar and ecologically sound technologies become more agile, so do their applications. And, while the Team would like to continue compet- ing in the American Solar Challenge and growing MSU's reputation as a top engineering school, its members are committed to working toward solutions for larger world problems, such as electrifying transportation and realizing the significance of renewable, clean energy. The Team is currently exploring concepts for future projects that might impact transportation on a larger scale. "We are looking at the possibility of turning our project into something that could be used for short/medium range, on-demand travel [where it could] eventually have a real impact on society, not just an annual colle- giate competition," Smith stresses. "This concept would combine the utility and range of an Uber with the convenience and cost-effectiveness of renting a Bird or Lime scooter, all while producing zero emissions and reducing the cost of use." "WE ARE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF TURNING OUR PROJECT INTO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE USED FOR SHORT/MEDIUM RANGE, ON-DEMAND TRAVEL [WHERE IT COULD] EVENTUALLY HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON SOCIETY." CONTINUED

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