UNSW's student solar racing team are aiming for glory once again in the epic Bridgestone World Solar Challenge across the Australian desert.
UNSW's Sunswift Racing team are determined to become back-to-back champions in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge – and this time they want to celebrate in style.
In 2023, the Sunswift 7 solar-powered car dominated the Cruiser Class and outpaced rivals from around the globe, only to be scuppered by Mother Nature.
Strong winds put such a toll on the batteries of all the cars competing that none were able to complete the fourth day of the full 3000km race distance from Darwin to Adelaide.
Sunswift was ultimately awarded the victory due to being well ahead in the race points system, which takes into consideration the energy usage of the car, the 'practicality' of the vehicle, as well as the time taken to complete each stage of the race.
But this year the team want to secure an undisputed triumph by taking the chequered flag in Adelaide. And such a victory will seal Sunswift 7's legacy.
"In 2023, we were the fastest car in the pre-race time trial, we were ahead on the road, we were ahead on points, and we travelled further than any other team," said Sunswift team principal, Professor of Practice Richard Hopkins.
"But along with everyone else, we didn't finish the event, so there is a bit of unfinished business and hopefully there will be redemption this year.
"In 2025, our sights are set firmly on reaching that finish line under our own steam, the way this challenge is meant to be won.
"Last time, we proved we're the best in the world by the numbers. But for this amazing group of undergraduate students, nothing will feel as sweet as driving Sunswift 7 right into Adelaide's heart as winners again, with the whole team waiting under the finishing banner."
Despite being reigning champions, the Sunswift team have not been taking anything for granted ahead of this year's event.
New rules and regulations – which are regularly introduced by race organisers to promote technological progress – have created new problems to solve, and new tactics to develop.
"Even though the car might look very similar to two years ago, we haven't just been sitting around polishing it and waiting for the 2025 race," Prof. Hopkins said.
"We've gone from being a four-seater to a two-seater, so the whole vehicle is about 250kg lighter than it was in 2023. Dynamically, that makes the car very different and the rules about charging have also been amended due to what happened last time, which throws any existing strategies up in the air.
"In truth, everything's been rewritten and we've had to reinvent our whole approach. It's really a whole new team, a whole new set of regulations, and a whole new strategy approach."
Victory in Adelaide would be a fitting finale for Sunswift 7, the latest iteration of solar racing car from a UNSW program that has been running since 1996.
In 2022 it claimed a Guinness World Record by completing 1000km on a single charge in under 12 hours. Stripped of non-essentials to maximise performance, the car will weigh just 500kg for the World Solar Challenge and boasts an exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.095.
But all good things must eventually come to an end, and the next-generation Sunswift 8 is already designed and ready to be built before a potential unveiling in the middle of 2026.
The new car is set to push the boundaries even further with its innovative 'tri-brid' technology – combining solar panels, battery storage, and hydrogen fuel cells for unrivalled clean transport potential.
"The current Sunswift team have been dealing with a unique challenge of preparing Sunswift 7 for the BWSC, while simultaneously also creating a completely new design for Sunswift 8. So the work they have been doing is just amazing," Prof. Hopkins added.
"Because we are purely an undergraduate team, we have many new members since 2023. It's a whole new set of young geniuses that are embarking on this.
"Sunswift 8 won't just be the world's first tri-brid – it will be the world's first road-legal tri-brid. So it will be a really big deal. And all designed and built by students here in Australia." Watch Sunswift 7 claim a Guinness World Record: https://youtu.be/jm1Efr8vlk4?list=TLGGswpMt6rgxLcxOTA4MjAyNQ
