Dutch Students Complete 1,800-mile Eurotrip in Solar-Powered Vehicle They Designed and Built
A group of 22 Dutch university students designed and built a solar-powered van that they named Stella Vita. The students completed an 1,800-mile road trip from Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, to Tarifa, Spain. They hope to inspire a faster transition to greater sustainability.
“To accelerate this transition we are going to inspire as many people in Europe as possible for the sustainable future during our journey,” student team manager Kjell Revenberg said in a press release.
The students attended Eindhoven University of Technology — located in the southern region of the Netherlands — and refer to themselves as Solar Team Eindhoven.
“Stella Vita generates energy through its solar panels on the roof and uses this energy for both driving and living,” the student inventors explained. “Stella Vita generates enough solar energy to drive, shower, watch TV, charge your laptop and make coffee. You are completely self-sustaining and independent. Hereby, you are free to go wherever you want, without harming the environment.”
Stella Vita also allows drivers and passengers to track the energy used for cooking, showering and watching television. The students say that Stella Vita is the world’s first solar-powered mobile home, and is designed for two people. It has a kitchen, seating area, bed, shower and toilet.
On sunny days, it can travel up to 450 miles in 24 hours and reach a speed of 75 miles per hour. It also has a 60 kilowatt-hour battery that allows it to travel 373 miles at night. It can also drive in gray weather. “On a cloudy day, the vehicle can still produce 60-70% of the energy,”said the students’ team coordinator, Dr. Carlo van der Weijer. “And even if there is no sun at all, you still have an efficient, normal electric car that you can charge from a charging port.”
The students hope to inspire automakers to follow their lead.
Image source: New Atlas, Daily Mail
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