The ISU solar car team will travel to Texas for the start of its summer season’s biggest competition. Starting July 21, 2014, in Austin, Texas, the American Solar Challenge will end in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The race is scheduled to pass through Ames on July 26 and 27.
Iowa State’s team, PrISUm, seeks to build off of past success and beat out nearly 30 other North American teams to make a run for the challenge’s title.
“We’ve got a great team this year and things are looking promising,” said Dakota Morgan, senior in mechanical engineering, and fabrication and outreach leader for PrISUm. “This year we have a record number of team members, and that gives a really good chance to succeed next summer.”
As they wrap up the design phase, PrISUm has begun construction of the 2014 Solar Challenge car, called Phaeton.
“[Last year’s car] Hyperion was the first to make it through the whole race with the entire electrical system still functional,” said Todd Wegter, senior in computer engineering and electrical team leader. “We built off that and are expecting big things.”
Read the full story here.