SolarCar at VT
What is SolarCar at Virginia Tech?
We are an undergraduate student design team that designs, builds, and races solar-powered electric vehicles.
This new iteration of Virginia Tech’s 1990s solar car team was officially formed in October 2021. The team consists of over 50 students, and is advised by Dr. Saied Taheri of the Center for Tire Research (Centire).
From Spring 2022 to Spring 2023, I was the electrical lead for the club. I helped run the electrical side of the team. My work was split between creating electrical schematics, facilitating discussions, organizing meetings, creating lesson plans, doggin on mech E’s, etc.
The History
"The SolarCar Club"
Spring 2021
It all started when a couple of events happened simultaneously:
Eashan G. (now President) transferred to VT
Hyperloop was disbanded at VT
The group from Hyperloop joined Eashan and his friends in creating SolarCar at VT.
This marked the inception of what is now known as SolarCar at VT. Initially, it started as a fan club, but it has since evolved into strong team. The team has successfully developed their prototype car, all set for the American Solar Challenge in 2024.
We began with minimal resources – a few banners, posters, and a shared enthusiasm for the project. The initial semester revolved around establishing the organizational structure, understanding the competition requirements and workflow, and actively recruiting new members. During this period, our interactions occurred weekly via Discord, where we engaged in discussions about solarcars.
Initial electrical sketches of the car
E-bike battery for testing
The transition to SolarCar at VT
Spring 2022
We transitioned from being a club to a cohesive team. The team structure was established, marking a return to in-person meetings following the Covid-19 period, and tangible advancements were made in our design process.
Throughout the semester, we outlined a series of electrical systems, secured a dedicated lab space on campus, and began to receive financial support from both sponsors and various university departments.
The team had expanded to encompass around 30 members during this phase. The primary challenge we faced was acquiring additional funding, to solidify our designs, and sustain the momentum for brainstorming and strategizing plans for other essential systems.
Kurt P. (ex-Mech lead) standing in the new lab
Jan 2022
The race to MVP (minimum viable product)
Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
This year marked a pivotal transformation for the club. The integration of Senior Design became an essential component. Objectives were well-defined, and the team now comprised 50 members, each contributing to various aspects of the car.
Now that the organization had substantially expanded, It now consisted of three electrical subteams (Battery, Solar, Telemetry) and three mechanical subteams (Structures, Dynamics, Suspension), with even further specialization for the senior design team.
We solidified our designs, initiated the procurement of necessary components, fulfilled competition requirements, engaged in construction, testing, and actively sought additional sponsorships. All these efforts culminated in preparation for the Senior Design Expo scheduled for April.
The senior design group brainstorming
Alex lookin sharp
Daniel removing the array
Batteries get HOT
Sidenote: HUGE shoutout to the Georgia Tech SolarCar Team for donating their old aeroshell and solar array to us. This saved us a ton of money, time, and stress. It really turned things around given what we were trying to acomplish by the end of the year.
Joey, Anthony, Clay, and I visit GT Solar // Jan 2023
And as we approached the conclusion, everything began to fall into place. Between March 2023 and April 2023, we progressed from merely receiving our chassis to successfully integrating all senior design components and club systems. The vehicle now had functional wheels capable of rolling, a suspension system, a rudimentary steering system, a motor that spun (only in reverse), no brakes, a CAN network, an ebike battery, and a solar array.
By June of 2023, a major milestone was reached as we successfully executed our first test drive. Although the car wasn’t yet solar-powered, it showcased the ability to accelerate and brake with some responsiveness. While circumstances prevented our participation in the FSPG 2023 competition, the club is determined to participate in the competition next year.
Looking forward to the upcoming year, the team has outlined its plans to continuously test the vehicle. This entails conducting additional test drives, assembling the full battery pack, constructing the aeroshell, and more, all while gaining knowledge along the journey. With the senior design element once again integrated, the world is their oyster. My wish is for them to contribute significantly and have fun working on this project.
In the end, I learned so much about myself. This marked the third and final design team I joined at Virginia Tech, and I am incredibly happy that I pursued it. It encompassed all my interests in power systems and provided a glimpse of how amazing working on an exciting project with diverse people can be. SolarCar turned out to be the most rewarding experience I had during my time at VT. If I were to offer advice to those seeking to pursue engineering in school, it would be to actively participate in design teams and discover your true passion.
