"Aletsch" is in Adelaide. A team of around 40 people from ETH Zurich has mastered the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) with a vehicle they designed and built themselves.
An arrival! The "Alpha Centauri" project was a success. It took over a year to design and build, improve and optimise. From the power supply to the chassis, from the streamlined outer shell covered with four square metres of solar cells to the logistics of getting the car and team to Australia - the students put in thousands of hours of work. And now the big dream has come true. There were 20 minutes left on the race clock when the "Aletsch" racer crossed the finish line. It achieved what only twelve of the 28 teams that started the race managed to do: drive exactly 3022 kilometres from Darwin in the north of Australia to Adelaide in the south.
Congratulations after over 3000 kilometres. Source: Alpha Centauri Racing
In the end, an average speed of 61.4 km/h was recorded in the rankings, which means 12th place (here are all the results). This performance is all the more impressive because many teams that had already taken part in the BWSC several times did not finish this year. Their vehicles either failed to make the time limits at the nine checkpoints on the route or had to give up due to technical problems.
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) is an event for solar-powered vehicles in Australia. It takes place every two years. Innovations in the field of sustainable energy applications are presented. The aim of each team is to design and build a solar car capable of crossing the Australian outback at the highest average speed using only sunlight as an energy source. The race starts in Darwin and ends in Adelaide after more than 3000 kilometres. In 2023, teams from more than 20 countries took part. The 2023 winner was the team «Inoptus» from the Netherlands. The Tour de Sol, which was held in Switzerland in 1985, is considered the forerunner of the BWSC.
The route of the race leads from north to south through Australia. Source: BWSC
The ETH team, on the other hand, was participating for the first time and overcame many hurdles during the construction in the Technopark in Zurich or during the test drives, for example on the airfield in Dübendorf. The challenges did not end with the race itself either: a tyre burst on the first day. On the last day, the steering cable broke, which almost meant the end of the race, but fortunately could be repaired after fourteen minutes.
The budding engineers solved the problem on the open track. They also had a few ideas for improving the car and making it faster in the evening and at night. According to the regulations, all race cars had to stop at 5 p.m. and the night camp was set up. While the top of the car was still catching the last rays of sunshine to charge the battery, the crew cooked and worked on the car.
At the end it was close
The race lasted six days. The last day was a tough one. The crew knew that they had to reach the best average speed - 75 km/h - in order to make it to the finish line on time. The batteries in the car were only 56 per cent charged at the start in the morning. But the weather was favourable. Sunshine and little wind helped to achieve the big goal. The solar cells from Swiss company Meyer-Burger, which were the most efficient in the entire race and provided almost 1000 watts of power for the electric motor and the drive of the 260-kilogram racing car with driver, also played an important part in the success. For comparison. The panels of a balcony solar system deliver around 300 watts - in the best conditions.
The last few kilometres turned into a small triumphant ride for the team. The crew cheered on the driver in the "Aletsch" Cockpit from the support vehicle. And as they crossed the finish line, the entire team marched cheering alongside the race car, waving the Swiss flag. The celebratory scenes afterwards, including a dip in a public fountain, could not have been bettered by a football team after winning a championship.
The Three Rivers Fountain in downtown Adelaide firmly in the hands of the Swiss team. Source: Alpha Centauri Racing
After the race, some crew members will return to Switzerland, while others have planned holidays in Australia. The car itself will be on display in Australia for a few more days, after which it will also return to Switzerland. Perhaps "Aletsch" has driven its first and last race. But it could well be that there will be another Swiss team at the next edition of the Solar World Challenge in two years' time - then with a new, even faster car. In any case, the team is determined.
Group photo with solar racing car. Source: Alpha Centauri Racing
More about Alpha-Centauri-Solar-Racing can be found here and here. At Instagram you can see more pictures and videos of the race days in the latest story.
Journalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
