TwenteOne

The TwenteOne from 2007 contains several techniques that were never used in solar cars up until then. Other participants of the World Solar Challenge were speaking well of the courage it had taken to realize a design as complicated as this. Team 2007 managed to finish sixth in the World Solar Challenge. One of the innovative techniques of the TwenteOne was the tiltable solar panel. Using this, it was possible to have the solar panel longer at the optimal angle to the sun (perpendicular). TwenteOne also had concentrators, so-called ‘Fresnel lenses’ that concentrate the sun light on a much smaller area. This meant that it was possible to use more than 7,5 m2 worth of sun light with a solar panel 6 m2 in size. Furthermore, a translation mechanism was developed to be able to shift the cells underneath the lenses. This meant that the bundle of sunlight could be still be caught by the cells when the sun moved. This system is patented by Solar Team Twente.

Specs: 

  • Year: 2007
  • Dimensions: 5.000 x 1.800 x 1.400 mm (L x W x H)
  • Mass: 230 kg (excluding driver)
  • Wheels: 3 (1 in the front, 2 in the back)
  • Solar Panel: 6 m2 gallium arsenide Triple Junction, with a ±27% efficiency
  • Battery: 30 kg lithium-ion polymer battery
  • Top Speed: 120 km/h