Soak up the sun: Dalhousie engineers build Atlantic Canada's 1st solar-powered car
Engineering students at Halifax’s Dalhousie University are getting ready to debut a solar car of their own design at an international competition.
The team has been working on a solar-powered electric vehicle prototype -- the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada -- ahead of the 2023 Formula Sun Grand Prix.
The annual track competition sees college and university teams from around the world race their solar-powered cars in closed circuit courses.
“We’re going to be racing it this June in Kansas and we’re really, really excited about it,” says Kate Arsenault, a member of Dalhousie’s solar car team.
“A lot is going into it right now. The base of our car is actually from Illinois State University, we purchased it from them, and we gutted the entire insides of it and are redoing everything that basically makes the car run.”
The Dalhousie team hopes to send a 15-member race crew to Kansas for the five-day event.
They’re currently fundraising for the trip, with a goal of $20,000.
The group says the funds will go towards registration, travel and other race-related costs.
The car they’ll be racing features several solar panels, which take energy from the sun and convert it into electricity.
“From there, it flows into (a) high-voltage box where we have four boxes that will take the solar energy and put it into our battery box,” says solar team motor lead, Noah Bugden.
“From there, the energy from the battery flows through the contactors, comes all the way … to the motor controller and then the motor itself. It’s what makes our car move.”
The team has grown from five members to more than 80 since it was founded in 2021.
The group is made of electrical, computer, mechanical, chemical, environmental, industrial engineering and computer science students at Dalhousie.
“Our team is amazing. We all put so much work and so much effort into it. Each person plays their own part,” Arsenault says.
“We really want to show people how powerful clean energy and clean transportation can be. We’re really passionate about climate solutions. The whole team is really interested in it. A lot of our target careers are going towards climate change and climate solutions.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.