Leuven University’s (KUL) Innoptus Solar Team has won the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa. The students from the Flemish Brabant university came in ahead of teams from two Dutch universities; Delft and Twente.
This was only the second time that the KUL solar team had taken part in this race. Due to the numerous uphill climbs, the sometimes-heavy traffic en route and the heat in South Africa, the race is considered to be the most extreme and challenging of its kind for solar-powered cars.
In what was their first time at Sasol Solar Challenge in 2022 (the race takes place every two years) the Leuven University team came second behind Delft. This year, after winning the World Championship in Australia in October 2023, the Innoptus Solar Team was the favourite to win this year’s Sasol Solar Challenge. The team lived up to expectations taking first place ahead of their Dutch rivals.
The race began on Friday 13 September. During the race the Belgian team the daily distance record for a solar-powered car on two occasions. The record now stands at 703km.