Solar cars race through Australia: Dutch teams neck and neck
Yesterday, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge kicked off in Australia.
Published on August 25, 2025
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Yesterday, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, the unofficial world championship for solar racing, got underway in Australia. Several Dutch teams are also taking part. The race will run until Sunday 31 August. The teams will cover around 3,000 kilometers across Australia, finishing in Adelaide in the south of the continent.
Yesterday was an exciting day right from the start. From the very first kilometers, a thrilling battle unfolded between the Brunel Solar Team, Solar Team Twente, with defending champion Innoptus Solar Team from Belgium in pursuit. Jans van den Nobelen from Klundert, of the Brunel Solar Team, is in the lead.
“It's a real neck-and-neck race, which makes it incredibly exciting and every decision counts,” says Jans van den Nobelen, who coordinates communication with the drivers at the Brunel Solar Team. “We are in first place and now it is important that we continue to follow our own strategy and stay focused on the thousands of kilometers that still lie ahead of us.”
Seven-time world champion
The Brunel Solar Team is a team of students from Delft who build a solar car every two years to compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge: the world championship for solar racing in Australia. Since its inception in 1999, the team has competed eleven times, finishing as world champion seven times.
Latest car full of innovations
The latest car is full of innovations. The blade fin, for example, allows the car to extract more energy from the airflow and reach higher speeds when wind conditions are favorable. It also improves the car's stability, allowing drivers to make fewer corrections and race faster.
Sustainability and innovation
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is not just about speed, but above all about sustainability and innovation. The race is intended to show that solar energy can power cars for thousands of kilometers and to test new technologies that will contribute to cleaner mobility in the future.
