The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge has announced new dates and regulations for the 2025 edition of its 3,000 km solar car race across the Australian continent. The biennial race from Darwin to Adelaide will now take place from Aug. 24 to Aug. 31, 2025, at the end of the Australian winter, instead of the traditional mid-October timeslot. This change in timing will present a challenge to teams as the sun will be lower in the sky, rising later and setting earlier, resulting in 20% lower daily solar irradiation than in October.
According to Bridgestone World Solar Challenge ambassador and faculty member, Chris Selwood, the teams will need to focus even more on energy efficiency as the world’s energy needs do not stop when the sun isn’t shining. The next edition of the race will feature new regulations for both the single-seater Challenger Class and the two-seater Cruiser Class. The Cruiser Class will now allow overnight recharging and both classes will compete in a single stage.
Regulations for the Challenger Class will include increased capacity to collect energy but a reduction in the amount of allowed storage capacity. Teams in this class will be allowed a maximum on-board stored energy of 11 MJ, with an allowable solar cell area of 4m2 to 6m2. Teams will need to practice strategic energy management similar to challenges faced by everyday energy providers who manage supply and demand gaps between power availability and use.
More details about the emerging Explorer Class, full regulations, program highlights, and team registration details will be announced on World Environment Day on June 5. If you are interested in reusing this content, please contact editors@pv-magazine.com as it is protected by copyright.
