The world’s first off-road solar car: Stella Terra
Student team Solar Team Eindhoven of the Eindhoven University of Technology has developed the first off-road car powered by the energy of the sun, making it independent of charging stations. Stella Terra is robust enough to navigate not only on paved roads but also on rough terrain. Through the various landscapes of Morocco, Stella Terra has driven over a thousand kilometers on the power of the sun.
Stella Terra collects solar energy using the solar panels on the roof. With these solar panels, and its robust construction, Stella Terra achieves complete independence in a sustainable manner, anywhere in the world. The solar car, which is road legal, has a top speed of 145 kilometers per hour, weighs only 1200 kilograms, and has a range of 710 kilometers on a sunny day. On average, the off-road range is 550 kilometers depending on the type of surface.
Pictures taken by Bart van Overbeeke, Chris Rooijakkers & BINDING7.
A difficult challenge
Building a self-sustaining off-road vehicle presents new challenges. As far as known, it is the first of its kind worldwide. “Stella Terra must withstand the harsh conditions of off-roading while remaining efficient and light enough to be powered by the sun. That is why we had to design almost everything for Stella Terra ourselves, from the suspension to the converters for the solar panels,” said Wisse Bos, team manager of Solar Team Eindhoven.
According to Bos, Stella Terra is five to ten years ahead of the current market. “We are pushing the boundaries of technology. With Stella Terra, we want to demonstrate that the transition to a sustainable future offers reasons for optimism and encourages individuals and companies to accelerate the energy transition.”
Morocco
Stella Terra has been tested extensively in Morocco. Starting from the north of Morocco, Stella Terra has driven over a thousand kilometers through various landscapes and terrains. “The efficiency of Stella Terra was hard to predict, meaning we were not sure whether we would make it on solar energy. While driving, we found that Stella Terra is 30% more efficient than expected. Therefore, we could complete the journey to the Sahara, all powered by the sun.” according to Bos.
A vision for the future
Mobility expert and professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, Maarten Steinbuch, is impressed by the team. “It is already difficult in normal conditions to build an energy-efficient car that can handle rough conditions, let alone to integrate solar panels into the car as well. I haven’t seen anyone do that yet. I expect that in 5 to 10 years electric cars will be part of our entire energy grid system. And when the home battery makes its appearance, it will even be possible to generate energy via a solar car and deliver it back to your home. Solar Team Eindhovens innovations could change the future.”
About Solar Team Eindhoven
More facts about Stella Terra
Stella Terra is road legal, has a limited top speed of 145 kilometers per hour, weighs only 1200 kilograms, and has a range of 710 kilometers on a sunny day. The battery capacity is 50 kWh. The off-road range is 550 km on a sunny day. Stella Terra has a size of 5.4 by 2 meters. The self-developed converter for the solar panels has an efficiency of 97%. Stella Terra has 444 mono-crystalline silicon solar cells on the roof, which can be expanded by 576 when standing still.