Solar Powered Switches

They had five days to drive a route of 2500 kilometers with more than 10.000 altitude meters to reach the finish line.

The Belgium team was leading until the third day when a flat tire cost some precious time and the Dutch team managed to jump to the leading position. The competition on the last days was close but The Solar Team Twente fought hard and remained in first place even when the Agoria Solar Team won the last stage.

It was an exciting first race for the Solar Challenge Morocco. However, it was not the first competition for the Agoria Solar Team or even their first car development. The solar car project from University of Leuven started back in 2005 and the BluePoint Atlas is their 9th attempt to build the most efficient and innovative solar car in the world.

Year after year the program allows the students to put their learnings to practical use while advancing the possibilities of the solar technology.

The latest car has a battery with an autonomy of 700km, a solar panel with microstructure and an electric motor that is 98% efficient.

They use APEM’s pushbutton switches on the wheel for gears, they also use toggle switches, shielding guards, rotary encoder and they even installed an IDEC third generation e-stop for emergencies. We are excited to see what is next for the team and their magnificent car.