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Covestro Adelie: Solar Car for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

Covestro supports the project with innovative materials and as the main sponsor. The overarching goal is the realization of the circular economy.

Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro (left), Lina Schwering, 1st Chairperson of Team Sonnenwagen, and NRW Minister of Transport Oliver Krischer are pleased with the successful presentation of the new solar car. | Photo: Covestro
Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro (left), Lina Schwering, 1st Chairperson of Team Sonnenwagen, and NRW Minister of Transport Oliver Krischer are pleased with the successful presentation of the new solar car. | Photo: Covestro
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The most well-known and one of the most challenging solar car races is back – the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge from October 22 to 29, 2023 in Australia. More than 50 teams from 24 countries will tackle the more than 3,000-kilometer route from Darwin to Adelaide – across the Australian Outback. Participants and models are subjected to very harsh climatic conditions with high temperatures and strong UV exposure from the sun during the race and the preceding test drives. Additionally, the vehicle will undergo significant mechanical stresses that can affect the efficiency and performance of the battery. The team "Sonnenwagen" from Aachen is now taking on the challenge.

The Sonnenwagen team presented their new solar race car, Covestro Adelie, at the Eurogress Aachen. Over the course of one and a half years, the 50-member team of students from RWTH and FH Aachen created a new model based on interdisciplinary research and extensive experience. Covestro shares the students' enthusiasm and supports the team with innovative material solutions, professional exchange, and as the main sponsor. Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Covestro, said in her welcome address:

"For me, the Sonnenwagen is a strong symbol of the mobility of the future because it shows us that we need to ask important questions about material science and design on the way there."

She appreciatively noted:

"The students have impressively demonstrated the motivation and know-how with which they develop and optimize new ideas for solar-powered, lightweight electric vehicles."

A multidisciplinary team from many departments

 Nine disciplines of the Aachen team were involved in the concept: the departments of chassis, aerodynamics, structure, electrical engineering, driving strategy, production, sponsorship, marketing, and logistics. Lina Schwering, the first chairwoman of the Sonnenwagen team, explained:

"Close and efficient cooperation of these areas is very important because we want to start in the Challenger class in the race, where performance and maximum energy efficiency are crucial."

Innovative materials of various compositions

 "The Sonnenwagen team therefore needed a lot of support in selecting the materials," explains Andreas Brandt, Head of Group Marketing and Project Sponsor at Covestro, adding:

"The new Sonnenwagen incorporates innovative products with different functionalities from various corporate areas, which will be tested under the conditions of the track."

 

Art with Plastic

 The aerodynamic outer shell was made from milled SikaBlock polyurethane foam blocks by Sika, a long-standing partner of Covestro and another sponsor of Team Sonnenwagen. The Leverkusen-based company provided raw materials and advised the team on implementation. The Sikaflex sealants for the solar cells are also based on components from Covestro. Other examples include a polycarbonate plastic plate for the battery casing and thermoplastic padding materials for the driver's seat cover. "Shifting boundaries is what we at Covestro share with the young talents of Team Sonnenwagen," sums up Sucheta Govil and adds for Covestro:

"We are pushing the boundaries of material innovation, driven by our commitment to sustainable mobility of the future. With our products and solutions, we are realizing the circular economy."

What does this mean?

With the solar race in Australia, Covestro has a good platform and extreme conditions for its products. It will be interesting to see what will be derived from this and how Team Sonnenwagen performs.

Translated automatically from German.
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