Romanian student team takes part in prestigious Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025

The Solis Team, made up of 23 students and two faculty members of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, together with a representative of the Romanian Auto Registry, is currently representing Romania at the most prestigious competition in the world dedicated to vehicles powered exclusively by solar energy, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025.

The competition takes place on a 3,020 km route, from the cities of Darwin to Adelaide, crossing the Australian desert.

The event, organized between August 24 and 31, is not just a race, but a challenge of efficiency. Each day, teams can travel only between 08:00 – 17:00, after which they camp in the middle of the desert, preparing for the next day.

The vehicle representing Romania, named Hyperion, is the most advanced prototype ever built by the Solis UTCN team. So far, Hyperion has reached a top speed of over 100 km/h.

Preparations for the competition started on August 9, and dynamic tests of the vehicle took place on August 23. The team achieved a time of 2:23:37 in the qualifications, earning the 20th position at the start line.

On August 24, in front of the Parliament House in Darwin, Hyperion officially started the race, alongside the strongest university teams in the world.

During the first day, the team covered 495 km in 8 hours. The second day, they crossed 552 km, with an average speed of 70 km/h.

After two days, the team is in 15th place in the Challenger category and has reached 1,060 km from Darwin.

The Brunel Solar Team, from the Netherlands, is currently in first place, with an average speed of 89 km/h.

The Solis team competes in the Challenger category, in which the vehicles can have only one occupant, and where the winner is the most efficient and aerodynamic solar vehicle. This year’s regulations bring new challenges: the maximum allowed surface area of photovoltaic panels is 6 sqm, the battery capacity can have a maximum of 3 kWh, and the vehicle must efficiently withstand the specific conditions of the Australian desert.

(Photo source: press release)