Brunel Solar Team presents original Nuna solarcar in Madurodam

The solar car on display in the park has a rich history. In 2021, Nuna 11 competed in the Moroccan Solar Challenge and finished in third place. A year later, the team won the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa with the further developed Nuna 11S. Alderman Arjen Kapteijns, from the municipality of The Hague (mobility, energy transition, and raw materials), officially unveiled the solar car in Madurodam today. “We in The Hague can be proud that Nuna 11S is getting a place in the park. This allows us to show visitors, and especially children, what you can do with clean and sustainable energy,” says Alderman Kapteijns. “In the energy transition, future generations will become more dependent on solar energy and the technology that goes with it. The sooner you see the possibilities as a child, the greater the chance that you will think: I want to do something with that when I grow up!”

The collaboration with Madurodam was partly initiated by Lucas Franzen, who worked on the Nuna 11S as an industrial design student in 2022. He developed the interactive concept for the park. “Visitors will soon be able to control a miniature car using solar energy,” he explains. "The better you position the solar panel towards the sun, the faster the car will go. We expect to have this interactive element ready after the summer. I am particularly curious about the reactions. I think it will be wonderful to see how young visitors playfully understand what solar energy can do."

Madurodam is proud of its collaboration with the TU Delft student team and is using its anniversary year to showcase how good we are at building solar cars in the Netherlands, through a winning Dutch solar car. “The Brunel Solar Team is constantly trying to push the boundaries of solar energy and mobility with smart innovations. That's a great story that we can use to inspire our visitors and show them how important sustainable technologies are,” says Yvette Nieboer, spokesperson for Madurodam. The solar car is located where a NAM gas installation used to be. “A logical choice: gas extraction is making way for sustainable technology. We think it's important that Madurodam moves with the energy transition that is in full swing in the Netherlands.” Elias Wawoe, team leader of the current team, adds: "With almost half a million visitors a year to Madurodam, many of whom are families with children, we reach an important target group that we want to inspire. At a time when technical specialists are in high demand, we hope this will lead to more enthusiasm for technology.“ Wawoe remembers Madurodam from his high school days, when he was active as an ”alderman.“ ”It's special to see one of our winning solar cars back in Madurodam. The fact that we as a team can now contribute something to this park makes me extra proud."

The Brunel Solar Team is a team of students from Delft who build a new solar car every year. Every other year, the team participates in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, the world championship for solar racing in Australia. In the intervening years, the team participates in the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa. For more than a year, the students put everything aside to work on their solar car. The team combines innovation, sustainability, and teamwork and wants to contribute to a future full of clean mobility with its solar cars.