Solar car racers ready for October Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

A Swiss solar car racing team is among 42 entries from 22 countries in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) over 3000km from Darwin to Adelaide on October 22-29.

The αCentauri Solar Racing team from university ETH Zurich has called its entry the Aletsch after the largest glacier in Switzerland which is losing ice at a rapid rate due to climate change. 

In its first appearance at the BWSC, the team’s competition number is 85 in recognition of the first solar vehicle event in 1985, the Swiss solar challenge Tour de Sol.

BWSC scrutineering starts in Darwin on October 16 ahead of the event start six days later. 

Bridgestone is supplying tyres to 35 teams in the event.

Meanwhile, the challenge now has Starlink internet connection.

BWSC event director Chris Selwood says Starlink is the official satellite internet provider for the challenge allowing improved communications.

“Working together with Starlink engineered by SpaceX, with its advanced, laser linked satellites that route data directly between each other in low Earth orbit, rather than between ground stations and satellites, will bring a level of connectivity and speed surpassing anything we’ve known before,” he adds.

Starlink product engineering senior director, SpaceX, and BWSC University of Michigan alumnus John Federspiel will go to Australia for the challenge.