Belgian solar car passes technical inspection for World Cup flawlessly
Tuesday 17 October - Today, the solar car of the Innoptus Solar Team, the student team from KU Leuven, underwent the mandatory checks for their participation in the World Championships in Australia. They are participating this edition with the Infinite, the 10th Belgian solar car. During the last edition in 2019, the Belgians became world champions.
Technical inspection
To be allowed to start in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, the world championship for solar cars that goes on in Australia, the car has to meet a very extensive set of regulations. Among other things, the battery, suspension, electrical system and general structure of the car are subjected to a thorough check. The Belgians passed these checks flawlessly and were able to complete the checks as the first of the top favourites.
We are here today at scrutineering, the technical inspection of our solar car. Several components are being scrutinised including the battery pack, engine and some mechanical components. We hope to get through this smoothly today to be completely ready for the challenge that starts on Sunday.
Cedric Verlinden, (23, Holsbeek) Team leader at the Innoptus Solar Team
Competition
During these tests, the Belgians were also able to get a first glimpse of the competition. Several top teams from all over the world are taking part. Besides strong European opponents, from the Netherlands and Germany for example, there are also teams from the US and Japan. A total of 38 teams are taking part in the competition.
We are here today with the other teams and see them for the first time. We have competitors from Japan, the Netherlands, America and many more. They all look very strong. We are looking forward to seeing them at the start!
Matthias Witvrouw (24, Genk), Mechanical Engineer at the Innoptus Solar Team
Outlook
On Saturday, the students will drive their qualifying lap. This qualifying lap will determine their starting position for the race that starts on Sunday. The team will drive their solar car 3021 kilometres between Darwin and Adelaide. The route goes right through the Australian Outback. The Belgians will defend their world title there. They have spent 15 months working on their solar car and are looking forward to the start of the race.
We have completed scrutineering with flying colours. We have passed all the tests and collected a lot of green stickers. We are all set to start the race. We are super looking forward to it.
Stijn Vos (24, Mortsel), Aerodynamic Engineer with the Innoptus Solar Team