Brunel Solar Team wins Sasol Solar Challenge

Cape Town, Sept. 16, 2022 - The Brunel Solar Team has just won the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa. The Dutch team finished with the most kilometres on the counter. The Belgian team, with whom they continuously competed for the title, came in second place with a 38 km difference. This is the first time in three years that the Dutch team managed to beat the Belgian team, the current world champion. Next to this, it marks the first time since 2018 that the Dutch team wins a title.

At 3:37 p.m., the Brunel Solar Team crossed the finish line in Cape Town, with a total of 4223 km on the counter, 38 km more than the Belgian team. Team captain Sanne Vilters is proud of the team: 'The last few days, both teams were hot on each other's heels. However, during every day stop, we kept repeating that we had to focus on ourselves and not be influenced by the other teams. Everyone has their own task within the team and if each member performed that task at their very best, we could win. The fact that we managed to do just that proves that we are a rock-solid team and of course that we have a magical car!’.

The eight-day challenge from Johannesburg to Cape Town is all about total mileage. Each day there is an optional loop on the route that the teams try to drive as many times as possible before arriving at 5 p.m. at the mandatory daily stop. The team that finishes in Cape Town with the most kilometres on the counter wins. That both solar cars are evenly matched was evident from the start of the challenge in Johannesburg. The Dutch and Belgian teams followed each other closely, alternated in having the lead and the difference in kilometres on the counter diminished by the day. It was a strategic cat-and-mouse game between the two countries. By making smart and creative choices, they tried to surprise and outsmart the competition. Before the start of the final day, the Brunel Solar Team's lead over the team from Belgium was only 10 km.

As the final day approached, the tension was rising. The battle was extremely tight and both teams did everything in their power to secure the victory. The final day started with a time penalty for both teams; the Dutch team received this penalty because of a (minor) collision during an overtaking manoeuvre, and the Belgian team for exceeding the speed limit on African roads. Additionally, both teams came in too late at the previous day's stop.

Because of the time penalty for coming in late yesterday, Nuna started today from the second-to-last position, 10 minutes behind Belgium. The Belgian team was in the lead until the loop stop, but the gap was gradually reduced to less than a minute. Both teams immediately decided to do the control stop, the daily mandatory 30-minute stop, to charge statically. After the control stop, the Brunel Solar Team immediately started driving loops. The Belgian team followed but had to be pushed off the road shortly after the loop stop due to a faulty battery. The 30-minute repair put them significantly behind. While driving the loops, they were unable to catch up with the distance Nuna had covered in the meantime. At the finish line at 3:37 pm, the Brunel Solar Team finished in first place with a 38 km lead.

Besides stimulating innovation in solar energy, the challenge serves another purpose: to inspire the local population. The daily location of the loop stop is often on the grounds of a (secondary) school. There, locals are not only able to admire the solar cars, but also participate in experiments that show how solar energy works. In a country where electricity is cut off for several hours a day (load shedding, ed.), the need for an energy transition is obvious. By inspiring the new generation, the organisation hopes to accelerate the energy transition in South Africa.