Sasol Solar Challenge

Standings

Team Interval Total distance
01 Brunel Solar Team 3780.7 km
02 Agoria Solar Team +10.1 km 3770.6 km
03 TUT Solar Team +1327 km 2453.7 km
04 North West University Solar Team +1638.3 km 2142.4 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team +2562.4 km 1218.3 km
06 SolarFlairs +3258 km 522.7 km
07 University of Free State Solar Team +3277.4 km 503.3 km
08 UniChamps +3668.5 km 112.2 km

Sasol Solar Challenge

Standings

Team Interval Total distance
01 Brunel Solar Team 3780.7 km
02 Agoria Solar Team +10.1 km 3770.6 km
03 TUT Solar Team +1327 km 2453.7 km
04 North West University Solar Team +1638.3 km 2142.4 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team +2562.4 km 1218.3 km
06 SolarFlairs +3258 km 522.7 km
07 University of Free State Solar Team +3277.4 km 503.3 km
08 UniChamps +3668.5 km 112.2 km

About the challenge

The Sasol Solar Challenge 2022 starts the 9th of September in Johannesburg at the Carnival City Casino and ends on the 16th of September in Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront. This eight day trip is approximately 2300 kilometers long and will reach altitudes of up to 2000 meters. Each day starts at 8.00 and ends at 17.00, with exception of the start day which is starts at 9.00 and the last day, the finish, which finishes at 16.00. Each day has a predetermined route which all teams must follow.

Meet the teams

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Brunel Solar Team
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Agoria Solar Team
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TUT Solar Team
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University of Free State Solar Team
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Central University of Technology: Seilatsatsi
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Genuine JV Solar Car Team
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North West University Solar Team
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Toyota Team Sonke
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SolarFlair

How does a solar challenge work?

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Goal, loops and different stops

The goal of the Sasol Solar Challenge 2022 is to cross the finish line with the most kilometers driven.

We hear you think: How is this possible if you have a fixed route everyday that is the same for every participating team? Well there is a simple explanation for this. Each day there is a loop included in the route. This loop can be 20 or even 80 kilometers, depending on the day of the race.

Each team can choose how many times they will drive the loop in order to gain more kilometers than the other participating teams. However, there are some challenges here.

You can drive as many loops as you want, but you have to reach the end of day location before 17.00h. If your solar car cannot reach this location , you will receive a time penalty for the next day. This means you will start later than the other teams, which gives you less time to drive the amount of kilometers you want to reach.

Furthermore, there are also loop stops and control stops. After each loop your team drives you have to stop your solar car at the beginning of the loop for five minutes and the driver must exit the car. After five minutes the driver again enter the car and start another loop or continue the set route of the race. You can do this as many times you like.

However, one of the stops you make has to be the control stop. Each team needs to perform one control stop per day. This will be at the same location as the loop stop, only a control stop takes 30 minutes instead of five. This stop can be used as a lunch break and/or recharging the solar car for example. Each team can choose what type of stop to perform every time they want to start a loop. You can start with a control stop followed by driving five loops for example, but you can also drive multiple loops before taking a break with the control stop.

The plan for all the stops and amount of loops is up to our strategist, but is also depending on the sun, the clouds and the competition.

Extra challenges

If you think this race is not challenging enough already, wait until you have read the extra challenges the organization has come up with this year.

Day 2/3: Marathon stage

Normally when you reach the end of day at 17.00h, the whole team starts working on the solar car to make the car race ready again for the next day. If something has broken or has been replaced during the day, you want to make sure it works the next day without any problems. When we arrive in Bloemfontein there will only be three team members allowed to improve the car. These three people will be assigned by our own team before the shift start. The other team members are not allowed to come near the car from that moment on. If normally you need at least five team members to lift the car to let’s say switch a tire, you can probably imagine that this night is going to be long and challenging.

Day 5: Blind Stage

Day five of the race will be an interesting one. We know that we will start and end day five in Graaff-Reinet, but that is actually everything we know thus far. This day is called the blind stage, because we do not know the route, the length, the direction of the loop and where the loop or control stop will be. This day will be quite challenging especially for our strategist. All information about day five will be received after the finish of day four. So we only have one night to prepare for this day.

Day 7: Half blind stage

The half blind stage is almost the same as the blind stage. Luckily for us, the route of this day is already known. The only unknown so far is everything involving the loop. Meaning the location of the loop stop and the route of the loop are unknown. Again, this information will be provided to us after the finish of day six.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

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Almost at the end of day!

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Going strong

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We are catching-up

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Last day of the challenge!

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Total distance after day 7

Team total distance
01 Brunel Solar Team 3780.7 km
02 Agoria Solar Team 3770.6 km
03 TUT Solar Team 2453.7 km
04 North West University Solar Team 2142.4 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 1218.3 km
06 SolarFlairs 522.7 km
07 University of Free State Solar Team 503.3 km
08 UniChamps 112.2 km

Results day 7

Team total distance
01 Agoria Solar Team 609.4 km
02 Brunel Solar Team 590.5 km
03 TUT Solar Team 417.4 km
04 North West Solar Team 322 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 214 km
06 SolarFlairs 98 km
07 UniChamps 91 km
08 University Free State Solar Team 67 km

Almost at the end of day

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Loop number 4

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Finished the first loop!

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First loop

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Currently in second place

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Day 7 of the Sasol Solar Challenge

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Total distance after day 6

Team total distance
01 Brunel Solar Team 3190.2 km
02 Agoria Solar Team 3161.2 km
03 TUT Solar Team 2036.3 km
04 North West University Solar Team 1820.4 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 1004.3 km
06 University of Free State Solar Team 436.3 km
07 SolarFlairs 424.7 km
08 UniChamps 21.2 km

Results day 6

Team
01 Brunel Solar Team
02 Agoria Solar Team
03 TUT Solar Team
04 North West University Solar Team
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team
06 University of Free State Solar Team
07 SolarFlairs

End of day 6, back to first!

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Driving to end of day

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Back to second place

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Back in first place!

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We have been overtaken!

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First loop done!

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We are at the loopstop!

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Route of today

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Day 6 of the Sasol Solar Challenge

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Total distance after day 5

Team total distance
01 Brunel Solar Team 2619.3 km
02 Agoria Solar Team 2590.3 km
03 TUT Solar Team 1695 km
04 North West University Solar Team 1488.7 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 798.3 km
06 University of Free State Solar Team 324.3 km
07 SolarFlairs 317.3 km
08 UniChamps 21.2 km
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Results day 5

Team total today
01 Brunel Solar Team 501 km
02 Agoria Solar Team 501 km
03 North West University Solar Team 170 km
04 TUT Solar Team 130 km
05 SolarFlairs 91 km
06 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 90 km
07 University of Free State Solar Team 2 km

we are at end of day!

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Control stop 2

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Sightseeing in South-Africa

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The route of today

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It is day five of the Sasol Solar Challenge

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We are back in first place!

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Total distance after day 4

Team Total distance
01 Brunel Solar Team 2118.3 km
02 Agoria Solar Team 2089.3 km
03 TUT Solar Team 1565 km
04 North West University Solar Team 1318.7 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 708.3 km
06 University of Free State Solar Team 322.3 km
07 SolarFlairs 226.3 km
08 UniChamps 21.2 km
09 CUT Seilatsatsi (Teruggetrokken) 1.6 km

Results day 4

Team Total today
01 Brunel Solar Team 560.4 km
02 Agoria Solar Team 508.8 km
03 TUT Solar Team 422.2 km
04 North West University Solar Team 370.6 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 209 km
06 SolarFlairs 83 km
07 University of Free State Solar Team 64 km
08 UniChamps 12 km

We are ready for the blind stage

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5 loops!

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We are starting the fourth loop

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We are starting our first loop!

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Change of drivers

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We are currently driving in first place!

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Today is day 4 of the Sasol Solar Challenge.

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Total distance after day 3

Team total distance
01 Agoria Solar Team 1580.5 km
02 Brunel Solar Team 1557.9 km
03 TUT Solar Team 1142.8 km
04 North West University Solar Team 948.1 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 499.3 km
06 University of Free State Solar Team 258.3 km
07 SolarFlairs 143.3 km
08 CUT Seilatsatsi 1.6 km

Results day 3

Team Total Today
01 Agoria Solar Team 591.1 km
02 Brunel Solar Team 511.5 km
03 TUT Solar Team 352.3 km
04 North West University Solar Team 193.1 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 136.1 km
06 SolairFlairs 122.1 km
07 University of Free State Solar Team 109.1 km
08 CUT Seilatsatsi 0 km

We have arrived in Gariep Dam!

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On our way back!

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Loop 4

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Poor road surface

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Currently driving the second loop

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Ready for the first loop!

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we are driving in second place

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Toady is day 3 of the Sasol Solar Challenge!

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Marathon Stage!

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Total distance after day 2

Team Total distance
01 Brunel Solar Team 1046.4 km
02 Agoria Solar Team 989.4 km
03 TUT Solar Team 790.5
04 North West University Solar Team 755
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 363.6
06 University of Free State Solar Team 149.2
07 SolarFlair 21.2
08 CUT Seilatsatsi 1.6

Results Day 2

Team Total today
01 Agoria Solar Team 519.2 km
02 Brunel Solar Team 476.6 km
03 TUT Solar Team 370.1 km
04 North West University Solar Team 384.4 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 142.0 km
06 University of Free State Solar Team 51.0 km
07 SolarFlair 9.2 km
08 CUT Seilatsatsi 0.6 km

End of the day

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On our way to Bloemfontein

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9 loops and counting

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6 loops done!

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4 loops

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Starting loop 1

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Ready for loops!

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Today is day 2 of the Sasol Solar Challenge!

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Standings day 1

Team Total today
01 Brunel Solar Team 569.8 km
02 Agoria Solar Team 470.2 km
03 TUT Solar Team 420.4 km
04 North West University Solar Team 370.6 km
05 Genuine JV Solar Car Team 221.2 km
06 University of Free State Solar Team 98.2 km
07 SolarFlair 21.2 km
08 CUT Seilatsatsi 1.0 km

End of day 1

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We are at the control stop!

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2 minutes ahead

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Battle for first place

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Nuna is on her way!

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Today is day 1 of the Sasol Solar Challenge

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We got Pole position!

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We passed dynamic scrutineering!

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For dynamic testing a slalom has to be driven within 11 seconds. We succeeded!

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We passed the figure 8 test!

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Good morning! Today is day 1 of dynamic scrutineering

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We passed static scrutineering!

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Only one station to go

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Nuna only weighs 130 Kg

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Interim results scrutineering

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Today static scrutineering starts!

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Welcome to our blog on the Sasol Solar Challenge! Starting on the 4th of September, we will post regularly on this page

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Solliciteer nu voor Nuna 12s!