This week we finally interviewed the business division. Because I usually conduct our interviews I handed off the reins to fellow business member Ian Sullivan. Ian is our public relations director and currently a rising junior. He interviewed Kyle, a rising junior in the AOSS department and of course me, a rising IOE sophomore. Q: …

Classes have concluded – finals have been passed and that means only one thing at the solar car team: Solar Summer! To kick things off, Kyle and Pavan organized a kick-off BBQ and ultimate frisbee game.                           Starting Monday the team will have …

With over 3,000 submissions for our drawing contest last year we knew that we had to continue the tradition this year! Last Monday we announced the launch of our photography contest. Students from K-12 all over Michigan will be able to take a picture of where they would like to see a solar car! We’re …

    Meet the Mech Division This week we’re starting something new. In conjunction with a blog post, we’ll be filming each interview. Check out our YouTube page (www.youtube.com/umsolar) to watch the videos and of course, for daily updates check out our twitter (www.twitter.com/umsolarcarteam) and like us on Facebook for news,prizes, and more! (www.fb.me/umsolar) My …

It’s official! The University of Michigan Solar Car team will be at the North American International Auto Show next week. We’ll have our most recent solar car, Quantum, and a design showcasing how our various vehicles are set up during the actual race.   This year is the first year that we’ll have the top …

Solar Vehicles and American Culture Solar cars aren’t a modern concept. The first solar powered vehicle was introduced to the American public in 1955. Developed by William G. Cobb, a General Motors engineer, the “Sunmobile” was not practical; the size of the car was too small for a driver! Since then, there have been many solar …

Developing An Efficient Car A lot more goes into building a solar car than solar panels. We need to optimize our cars’ energy use, in other words, make our cars more efficient. We call it “energy in, energy out”. The ideal car would have as much energy coming in, without wasting any energy in ways …

WSC… Then and Now What happens every two years in the middle of October in the Australian outback? The World Solar Challenge! On October 6th, 2013, the University of Michigan Solar Car Team will compete in this 3,000 kilometer (about 1,800 miles) journey from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia. The challenge is inspired by ideas of …

From Horses to the Sun: How the environment has influenced the evolution of the automobile  We all know that technology is evolving rapidly, but so are its consequences. Gadgets are becoming more and more commonplace, but with a variety of tools come a wide range of concerns. From relatively minor issues like students cheating during …

The countdown to WSC ’13 has started! Each Michigan Solar Car division is already working diligently to create the next great Michigan solar car. With new WSC regulations and technologic advances, we have to face new challenges and difficult decisions in order to engineer our next solar vehicle. Stay updated and follow us on our …