- “With this vehicle, we expect to win the 2016 Atacama Solar Challenge,” said Martín Catalán, general director of the Solar Car Team (ESUS) of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, after the presentation of the Apolo III. Claudio Murúa, mechanical director of the team said that the new car can achieve 140 kilometers per hour using as little energy as a hair dryer.
“With this vehicle we expect to win the 2016 Atacama Solar Challenge. Not the second or the third, but the first place. The cars competing are very similar so the possibility of winning is very high,” said Martín Catalán, general director of the Solar Car Team (ESUS) of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, after the presentation of the Apolo III.
Among the most remarkable features of the new model that will compete in the Evolution category (high-range cars that are only fed with solar energy), the car stands out for its low weight, 190 kilos, what makes it very competitive not only in Chile, but also at an international level.
Martín Catalán will be the team captain during the race and their goal is to have a better performance in comparison to the past challenge, where they reached the fourth place in general and the third place nationwide. This left them in the 17th place of the International Solar Car Federation global championship table.
The ceremony
The Apolo III presentation ceremony was attended by Universidad de Santiago’s authorities, students and external guests. Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago, and the ESUS team members unveiled the new car.
Dr Zolezzi said that he appreciates the links with the private sector to develop these projects. “We expect the business world to really trust universities and contribute with resources to achieve what they want: To produce more cheaply and with better quality. In turn, this will allow us to develop science and technology.”
The car
The car is 4 and a half meters long, 1.8 meters wide and one meter high; its advanced control system allows to adapt speed to the weather conditions in route; and its flexible solar panels weigh 80% less than conventional ones to make it more competitive.
Claudio Murúa, mechanical director of the team said that the new car can achieve 140 kilometers per hour using as little energy as a hair dryer.
He highlighted that the Apolo III body shell is completely made up of carbon fiber. It took them three months to assemble it and they worked together with several companies.
“It is a very strong and reliable car that should not have any problem in completing the 2,550 kilometers of the race. This time, we have focused on the use of energy,” he added.
The group that developed the project is formed by 50 people from different programs at the university, mainly from the Faculty of Engineering.
An example in energy matters
The general director of ESUS said that his team does not only work on the car, but it also seeks to disseminate knowledge and show new technologies.
“In a few years, we would like our work to be an example in the university and position ourselves at a national level in the context of renewable energies,” he said.
During the presentation, Leandro Valencia, general director of the NGO Ruta Solar, highlighted the work done by the team of Universidad de Santiago by saying: “The ESUS team is very active in outreach activities. We are very proud of this, because the team contributes to our mission of making Chile the world capital of solar energy.”
Translated by Marcela Contreras
