The grueling, 630-mile road race where the only fuel is sunlight
The Solar Car Challenge is a 30-year-old competition that tasks high school students with building and racing solar-powered vehicles across Texas. Founded to improve STEM education, the program teaches students engineering, project management, and sustainability skills.
Why it matters
It demonstrates the impact of hands-on, project-based learning in fostering interest in STEM careers among youth.
On July 19th, dozens of teams of high school students will begin a five-day, 630-mile road race from Fort Worth to Fort Stockton in Texas. But this is not your typical contest. The students design and build the cars themselves, using off-the-shelf parts and 3D printed materials. The winner is the team that accumulates the most driven miles. And the only fuel they can use to power their Frankenstein-looking vehicles comes from that mass of incandescent gas that hangs in our sky: the Sun.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in