A team of Iowa State University students is back after a three-week competition fueled by the sun. Team prISUm took its solar car Hyperion for Channel 13 to test drive Friday morning on Today in Iowa.
The team came in second in the American Solar Challenge earlier this month. It’s a 1,650-mile road race from Rochester, New York to St. Paul, Minnesota.
Drivers had to sit in the small cockpit in triple digit temperatures without air conditioning during the competition.
“It’s most comparable to a sauna, I would say. Best thing you can do is mentally prepare, eat some food, get a little fluids in your system before you head out. We do have a half gallon of water for you when you do stop and otherwise, enjoy the ride while you’re there,” says team member Corey Anderson.
Team members say solar car technology is progressing. We could see something like the Hyperion on the road in the next 20 years.