Michigan Wins Solar Car Challenge

The team from the University of Michigan has taken top honors at the 2005 North American Solar Challenge, crossing the finish line first in Calgary, Alberta, Canada after 2,494 miles of driving from the start of the race in Austin, Texas. The University of Michigan's solar-powered car, Momentum, made the trip in a total of 53 hours, 59 minutes, and 43 seconds for an average speed of 46.2 mph. The University of Minnesota placed second, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology rounding out the top three. Stanford University won the Stock class, which features limitations on the technology the teams can use on their cars, and finished ninth overall.

The race is grueling: of the twenty teams that qualified for the actual race, only 14 completed the full length. As the cars are completely powered by the sun's energy, energy management and weather considerations are crucially important. The 10-day event was not only the longest solar car race in the world, but also the first to cross an international border. This year's American Solar Challenge had the highest level of Canadian involvement so far, with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) joining the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) as a title sponsor. Additionally, 10 of the 40 teams that originally registered for the race were from Canada.