Covestro support for major world solar car event

Member company Covestro is teaming up with RWTH Aachen University and Aachen University of Applied Sciences, to help in the student's bid to win the World Solar Challenge.

Covestro will donate materials, technical support and funds so that the team’s vehicle can participate in one of the most demanding solar car races in the world, which will take place in October 2017 in Australia.

The 3022km race from Darwin to Adelaide involves 40 teams from all over the world who compete every two years in their homemade sun-powered vehicles, all without using one drop of fuel!

The Aachen team’s Sonnenwagen (literally ‘solar car’ in German) project will subject the materials provided by Covestro to the harsh climate conditions that exist along the race’s route including temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius, high UV radiation and high air dust content. Many of these materials are produced using chlorine-chemistry including polyurethane and polycarbonate materials (which will make the car lightweight and aerodynamic) as well as in the solar cells which are based on high-purity silicon, another chlorine thing!

45 junior researchers have established the “Sonnenwagen Aachen e.V.” association, which aims to meet future global transportation needs. Dr. Markus Steilemann, Board Member for Innovation and Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro said that “solar mobility can make a key contribution to protecting the climate and conserving fossil resources. With our developments and this project partnership, we want to demonstrate our commitment to innovation and sustainability, but also to supporting junior talents.”

This work follows on from Covestro’s support of the successful Solar Impulse project, the first manned flight around the globe in an aircraft powered exclusively by solar energy, which completed last year.

More information can be found on the Covestro and Sonnenwagen websites.