South Florida high school students head to Texas Motor Speedway to race solar-powered cars
FORT LAUDERDALE — Over two dozen high school students are heading to Texas to represent South Florida in a race with a solar-powered car they designed themselves.
Twenty-six students from Florida Atlantic University High School — the Solar Owls — will spend eight days in Fort Worth Texas to race their four-seat solar cruiser in the 2024 Solar Car Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway.
The Solar Car Challenge is a program designed to "motivate students in science, technology and alternative energy," the Solar Owls shared in a press release on Saturday. During the race, the team driving the most miles accumulated over the course of four days will be declared the winner.
Led by adviser Allan Phipps, this year marks the team's inaugural participation in the challenge. The Solar Owls have been physically preparing for the race since last June, but their car's research and design phases have been in the works since 2020.
Inspired by the Tesla Cybertruck, the team's ALSET Cyber Sedan used their own ideas to build the vehicle from the ground up, becoming the first car in Florida made by a team at the high school or college level, the Solar Owls noted. The Cyber Sedan is a four-seater commuter car powered by the sun, showing the "innovation and engineering prowess from the Solar Owls high school students."
"Participating in the Solar Car Challenge has been an incredible journey," said student Nidhi Begur. "The teamwork, creativity, and technical skills we've developed are invaluable. I'm proud of what we've accomplished and excited for the race."
A total of 48 students worked on the car, which is made up of carbon-fiber sandwich composite board with recycled PET bottle foam core. The roll bars and safety cell are made of thin-wall chromoly steel.
"I am so excited to lead our team this July at the Texas Motor Speedway," added student Mark Zagha. "This has been a product of hard work for the past two years, and I can't wait to see what happens in the coming weeks."
This year's challenge will feature 32 teams — all of whom are in various stages of development and representing multiple states and countries, including Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Spain, Singapore and The Bahamas.
"STEM competitions like the Solar Car Challenge offer students a unique, hands-on opportunity to apply classroom lessons to real-world global issues," Phipps said. "Projects like building a solar car enhance engineering skills and foster essential life skills such as time management, teamwork, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving."
"These programs exemplify how hands-on, project-based STEM initiatives can help students discover their personal talents, strengths, and interests," he added. "Engaging in these activities guides students toward STEM degrees and careers, ultimately finding their own STEM identity."