Student solar car running on Stäubli electrical connectors wins in South Africa

A group of students from KU Leuven, a Belgian research university, has high ambitions: to build the world’s most innovative solar car. In a successful cooperation, Stäubli Benelux has equipped them with the necessary connector technology for the most extreme solar car competition in South Africa.

When in charge of a project to build the world’s best solar car, who would you hire? Well, currently it is a group of 33 engineering students from Leuven University holding the title of world champion in their discipline. With their self-built solar vehicles, they participate in international racing competitions.

Successful across continents

In one of their most recent ones, they won the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa on September 20 after eight intensive racing days. This included coping with the country’s large differences in altitude, changing weather conditions and the dense traffic around Cape Town.

Only two days after, they were named European champion after a successful 24-hour race at the Zolder Circuit in their home country. „Celebrating two important successes on two different continents within one weekend marks a very special moment for us. But we’re also already looking towards our next goal: defending our title in the world championship 2025 in Australia”, said Dries De Saegher (24), Team Manager of the Innoptus Solar Team.

Technology to rely on in the desert

For the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa, the Innoptus Solar Team was able to rely on the support of Stäubli Benelux. The Belgian colleagues supported the students with products from Stäubli’s Electrical Connectors Division:

• On the one hand, the efficient operation of the solar car itself had to be ensured. This is where Stäubli silicone and PVC insulated multi-strand wires came into play, providing the complete cabling of the racing car.
• On the other hand, the students needed a reliable energy source during the competition, e.g., for maintenance activities. This is particularly important in a country with controlled power outages. The Innoptus Solar Team used a container as their workshop space, where they built and maintained the solar car. By installing a solar panel system on the roof of this container, they generated their own solar energy – making their camp self-sufficient in terms of energy supply. This is where the MC4-Evo ready connectors played a crucial role in ensuring the correct functioning of the solar installation. The Stäubli team also provided training on how to assemble the MC4-Evo ready connectors beforehand.

“When we heard about the project, we were immediately captivated by the ambition behind it and the passion and commitment of the student team. By providing Stäubli connector technology, we wanted to enable the future engineers to get the full potential out of their solar-powered vehicle”, said Julian Deleener, Electrical Connectors Sales Engineer at Stäubli Benelux.

Promising future

Stäubli is proud of this successful collaboration, with the reach of this solar car clearly highlighting the future potential of solar energy. The team is looking forward to their future cooperation with Innoptus Solar.

To learn more about the team’s recent wins, visit https://press.solarteam.be/