Last month, the Solis student team from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca crossed the Australian desert from north to south over 6 days aboard the solar-powered car “Hyperion.” The crossing was part of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025, which took place on a 3,020 km route, from the cities of Darwin to Adelaide, crossing the Australian desert.
The competition, which measured the efficiency of each participating car, was an ideal testing ground for the Romanian-made car.
The 270 kg vehicle (driver included) is powered through photovoltaic panels, and was manned by a team of 30, divided into departments.
“The battery is 3 kW, half the capacity of last year. We had 6 square meters of solar panels. The car’s range in zero-sun conditions is up to 300 km. Aerodynamics is a very important thing. It must be very stable on the road. The pilot is forced to stay at a high temperature in the car,” said Tudor Băldean, who coordinated the electric department, according to G4Media.
“Hyperion” crossed the Australian in six days, registering an average speed of 65-70 km/h. The pilot was assisted and accompanied on the route by regular vehicles, team colleagues, and organizers. In the end, the team placed 18th out of 26 in the Challenger category.
The entire experience was special, according to the Romanian students.
“On an Australian road, it is important to be very safe because it is a dangerous road. Australia hosts many animals, and many of them are not friendly to humans,” Băldean added.
The Solis team has been developing solar cars since 2018, participating in numerous international competitions.
(Photo source: worldsolarchallenge.org)
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