Every two years, a grueling race called the World Solar Challenge takes place in the Australian Outback. The cars that compete aren’t your typical gasoline-powered vehicles—they run entirely on solar power.
On October 22, 2023, nearly 40 solar-powered cars set off to complete the challenge. During the race, smoke from wildfires covered the sun and strong winds made driving difficult. This forced many vehicles to retire. By the time the race ended, only 12 cars had crossed the finish line.
The winning car was created by the Innoptus Solar Team, a group of engineering students from Belgium. Their vehicle completed the race in 34 hours—easily beating out the other cars. “We worked really hard for this over a year, and the reward feels incredible,” says team member Stan Kelchtermans.