Catching some rays on Route 66

Borealis II cruising to St. Louis.

Photo by Brian Eckhoff (c) 2003

From M, fall 2003

This summer, University students took second place in the American Solar Challenge, racing their car Borealis II against 20 other university teams. Starting in Chicago, they traveled across 2,300 miles of historic Route 66, traversing the Great Plains, climbing the Rocky Mountains, and laboring over the desert to reach the finish line in Claremont, California, in 56 hours, 36 minutes, and 31 seconds.

Team leader Travis Lee, a mechanical engineering senior, supplied us with some facts about the journey.

Inches of headroom in the cockpit: 4

Hottest temperature (inside the car): 120 degrees F

Amount of fluid drunk per day (per solar car driver): 2 liters

Average speed: 39.5 mph

Highest speed: 65 mph during race, 70 mph during testing

Flat tires: 1

Number of major repairs: 1

Number of double-takes: Lost count in first 10 minutes

Volunteer student time: tens of thousands of hours

Number of solar cells: 2,000+

Gas fill-ups: 0

Driver comfort level (on a scale of 1-10): -3

For more info about the team, see www.umn.edu/umnsvp. To learn more about the American Solar Challenge, see www.americansolarchallenge.org