In October 2027, these twenty-one highly motivated students will put their own built, fully electric rally raid car to the ultimate test as it competes in the Rallye Du Maroc. Together, we aim to push the boundaries of current technology.
The Solar Team is located in Enschede, the Netherlands. It is part of the University of Twente, Saxion University of Applied Sciences and ROC van Twente. Solar Team Twente is one of the biggest student teams of the Netherlands. It unites more than 150 companies in and outside the country to make the impossible possible regarding solar power and racing. Team members pause their studies for more than a year to show what one can achieve in a short period of time. Their goal is to inspire others to contribute to a more sustainable society themselves. Together, we make a difference!
Management Team
Dennis Oude Egberink
Team Manager
Hi! My name is Dennis Oude Egberink, and I am Solar Team Twente's Team Manager for the 2027 edition. With only one year left in my master's in Mechanical Engineering, I got eager to do something other than study for a year and gain experience in an entirely different discipline. That's when I met Solar Team Twente. It is my duty to ensure every team member feels comfortable and to meet the team's needs. I look forward to working with this multidisciplinary team, and I'm confident we can lay the foundation for many future generations of Solar Team Twente.
Tom Diks
Account Manager
My name is Tom Diks and I am 22 years old. For this edition, I will take on the role of Account Manager. My main responsibility is to get in contact with new potential partners and build strong relationships with them, while also staying closely connected with our existing partners. My goal is to create valuable partnerships that support our team and make sure our partners feel involved throughout the year. I’m really looking forward to meeting new people, working together with our partners, and making this edition a great success!
Lilian Schoone
Technical Manager
Hi, my name is Lilian Schoone, I am 22 years old and I will be this year's Technical Manager. It is my responsibility to ensure that everything runs smoothly and to facilitate the technical team, from planning and coordination to keeping our technical partners closely involved. I’m incredibly excited to work with this amazing team and take on this pioneering challenge of creating the first fully electric rally car powered by solar energy, making this an edition to remember!
Bo Berkhout
Race Operations Manager
Hi! My name is Bo Berkhout and I am 21 years old. For this edition, I will fulfil the role of Race Operations Manager. I am responsible for organizing the logistics of our journey to and from Morocco, including transportation, accommodation, and vehicle arrangements both in the Netherlands and in Morocco! I’m really excited to take on this new adventure together, developing the first fully electric rally car powered by solar energy. My goal is to find efficient transport solutions and bring out the best in each other as a team. I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and to making this a year to remember!
Wouda Dingemanse
Marketing & Communications Manager
Hi! My name is Wouda and I am 21 years old. For the edition I will take on the role of Communication Manager. It is my responsibility to share our journey with our partners and followers and show them what we are working on throughout the year. My goal is to get more people excited about what we do and bring them along in our story. I’m really excited to work together with this team and make a lot of memories.
Mathijs ter Maat
Content & Interior Designer
My name is Mathijs ter Maat, 22 years old, and in the 2027 edition of Solar Team Twente, I am the Content Designer. The job is to design posters and other graphical needs like brochures, create posts and videos for specific targets on specific websites to match the target group and includes the job of photographer and upkeep of set photos. With that, I hope to showcase our team in many lights. I have always been inspired by creating content, which I personally wanted to become better at since it is also a part of my study, that being Industrial Design Engineering. Specifically video editing and poster creation, which makes this the perfect scenario to do so!
Another function is Interior Designer, which involves creating a dashboard and layout, having a good driver's position and making it fit the image of Solar Team Twente while also abiding by the rulebook given to the team. This is also a fantastic job since this might be something I want to do as my future career, so now I can see if I like it as much as I think I would.
Technical Team
Geert van Hemert
Lead Engineer
My name is Geert van Hemert, 26 years old and taken on the role of lead engineer for edition 2027! As lead engineer I keep a bird's-eye view over all the various systems in our car. My role is to communicate and keep track of the interfaces between the different disciplines. In the end making sure that many smaller pieces combine into one! My goal is to have an amazing time with the team and see everyone though to the end. I’m incredibly excited to work with this amazing team and build the solar team twente's first rally car!
Steef Broeder
Race Performance Engineer
Hi! My name is Steef Broeder, I am 20 years old and I will be this year’s Race Performance Engineer. My role is to support the technical team in making design decisions while balancing speed, efficiency and reliability. Next to that I will be responsible for making sure we can drive as fast as possible while reaching the finish line in the unforgiving environment of the Moroccan desert. I’m very excited to work together with this motivated team, push boundaries and take on this incredible challenge together!
Mathijs Boksebeld
Drivetrain Engineer
Hi! I’m Mathijs, this edition’s Drivetrain Engineer. Before finishing my master’s in Mechanical Engineering, I wanted to gain hands-on experience in a large-scale project, which led me to spend a year with Solar Team Twente! As a Drivetrain Engineer, I’m responsible for converting the battery’s electrical energy into spinning wheels, bringing together both electrical and mechanical components. My goal for this year is to have an amazing time with the team while creating an efficient and reliable drivetrain capable of conquering the desert!
Marijn Hiemstra
Software Engineer
Hi! My name is Marijn Hiemstra, currently I am in my 3rd year of HBO-ICT. I am this year's software engineer, and come from a background in car mechanics. Working as a fulltime mechanic my interest in electronics and computers grew ever bigger, to which I decided I would like to study to work with computers. During my studies however, I missed the more technical aspects of computer science, which is why I decided to apply for Solar Team Twente, taking on this project fills this gap and gives me the chance to improve and learn in a more practical setting, while also allowing me to improve in working in a big team on an even bigger project. Together we are taking on this challenge of building an electric rally car, and showing as a team that the world of electric motorsport can be pushed a lot further!
Sven Rozema
Mechatronics Engineer
My name is Sven Rozema, and I am 20 years old. After finishing the second year of bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, I wanted to gain some practical experience in an engineering project. And what better option than to design an all-new solar rally raid car! I joined Solar Team Twente as one of the mechatronics engineers because I am also interested in some electronics topics next to my mechanical engineering background. Within solar team I will be responsible for the design of the battery.
Guido de Hart
Embedded Systems Engineer
Hi! My name is Guido de Hart and I am 21 years old. After 2 years of being very active at my study association Inter-Actief, I felt that I needed some technical challenge. Solar Team Twente had already been on my radar for a while, but when they announced the new rally car project I was sold: This is exactly what I had been looking for. Fulfilling my role as Embedded Systems Engineer, I will be responsible for most of the digital electrical systems. As you may expect from an electric car, there are many of these systems! That, for me, makes a perfect learning environment with many different projects and skills.
Tim Volmerink
Mechatronic Engineer
Hi! My name is Tim Volmerink, 20 years old, and I will be the Mechatronic Engineer for this 2027 edition of Solar Team Twente. I studied Mechatronics at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and I will bridge the gap between the electrical and mechanical systems of the solar rally car. I was born at a very early age and have always wanted to join Solar Team Twente to help build the next generation of solar race cars with a motivated team of fellow students. When I heard that we are going rally racing, I only got more excited as a 'Tukker' myself to show the world what we are capable of in this beautiful region, Twente!
Alexis Decoux
Aerodynamics and Thermodynamics Engineer
Hello! My name is Alexis Decoux, I'm 20 years old and I will be this year's Aerodynamics and Thermodynamics engineer. The role consists of making sure the car has at all its components at the correct temperatures, and that it's aerodynamically efficient. I wanted to gain experience in a student team after finishing my bachelor of mechanical engineering, and after seeing the new direction Solar Team Twente was taking, I immediately knew where to go. I think the project is ambitious, just like the rest of the team, and I'm excited to get a car complete and running this year!
Maura Bode
Aerodynamics & Thermodynamics Engineer
My name is Maura Bode and I am 21 years old. After completing my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, I wanted to implement the theoretical knowledge I have gained in real life. Therefore, I am excited to join Solar Team Twente as the Aerodynamics & Thermodynamics Engineer. In this role, I will be responsible for keeping car components cool and reducing air drag. I am really excited to work together with a diverse group of enthusiastic and motivated students to create our first edition of a solar rally car!
Robin Hekkelman
Structural Engineer
My name is Robin Hekkelman, I'm 20 years old and I will be one of the structural engineers. I will make sure the work of the different sub-teams can be properly integrated into our chassis. This includes providing the right connection points and brackets, while ensuring there is enough space to install everything correctly. My background in mechanical engineering will help me a lot but there is still a lot to learn. My goal this year is to ensure the car complies with all regulations and is able to drive in Rallye Du Maroc.
Wietse Hornstra
Structural Engineer
Hi my name's Wietse Hornstra, 20 years old and this year I'll be taking on the role of Structural Engineer. With Mechanical Engineering as my background and together with the other engineers we strive to revolutionise the automotive industry with our solar rally car. We need to overcome difficult challenges that we face along the way of building the first completely electric rally raid car.
Bram van Dooren
Structural Engineering
Hey, my name is Bram van Dooren, I am 22 years old. After completing my secondary vocational education (MBO) as a CNC Operator in Hengelo, I continued my studies in Biomechanical Engineering at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. Within Solar Team Twente, I’m part of the Structural Engineering subteam, where I focus on the design and structural integrity of our electric off-road rally car. I enjoy the challenge of developing lightweight, strong and reliable structures that can withstand the demands of extreme off-road conditions. Together with the team, I’m working on pushing the limits of electric mobility and building a car that is ready to take on the toughest terrain.
Jeremy Lieferink
Mechanical Engineers
Hi, I am Jeremy Lieferink. I am 22 years old, and this year I will be one of the mechanical engineers at Solar Team Twente 2027. When finding out Solar Team was going to change paths and conquer the world of rally racing, I didn’t hesitate a second to apply for a role as mechanical engineer. I believe that such an opportunity shouldn’t be taken for granted, so that is why I’m really looking forward into upcoming year. Hopefully I can steer the amazing team into the right direction with my knowledge and input, and overall have an amazing year!
Nathan Groote
Mechanical Engineer
Hey, I'm Nathan, a 23 year old graduate of Mechanical Engineering Bachelor. I am excited to take on the role of Mechanical Engineer at Solar Team Twente! This year the challenge is bigger than ever: designing a completely new electric rally raid vehicle from the ground up, built to hold up over hundreds of kilometers through rough desert terrain, where there is no room to fail. I will be working on the braking system, among other mechanical components. That is exactly what excites me most about this project. I look forward to designing, building, and racing an electric rally car with a team that pushes to do something no student team has done before.
Nout Hoogeveen
Mechanical Engineer
My name is Nout. I am 21 years old, and I am excited to take on the role of mechanical engineer at Solar Team Twente. I joined the team because we are building a rally car this year, which I see as an exciting engineering challenge. Together with a team of motivated students, I look forward to tackling the demands of rally racing and turning our ideas into a car we can be proud of. Most of all, I’m excited to compete in the W2RC in Morocco, where I hope to see our car cross the finish line in first place!
