Risen from the ashes: Brunel Solar Team aims for world title four years after tragic fire

This year, the Brunel Solar Team will present their brand-new solar car, Nuna 12, at the starting line. The team is giving their all to recapture the World Cup. In fact, they were champions in the last three editions before the fire; however, the trophy is now in Belgium. The event organization inspected the car today to ensure compliance with all regulations and safety requirements. An emotional moment, especially because it’s exactly four years after the Nuna X fire.

The only remnant of the Nuna X solar car after the devastating fire was a battered license plate, which was left in Australia at the time. Leading up to the new edition, event organizer Chris Selwood symbolically handed over the damaged license plate to the team. The team plans to take this license plate with them as they cross the finish line, completing the challenge from back then as a tribute to Nuna X.

Before starting this year’s Solar Challenge, the team visited the specific location near Adelaide where the tragedy occurred. Here, team captain Lennart Hessels left a message on a memorial stone, just like the team did four years ago. Hessels: "It was a special moment. I was not part of the team back then, but I now know what it means to work towards this challenge for a year. All team members who experienced the fire are now good friends of mine. With this tribute, we take a piece of Nuna X's history into our adventure with Nuna 12."