For thirty years the Solar Car Challenge has offered high school students an opportunity to design, engineer, build and race solar cars. Launched as the Solar Car Challenge & Education Program, it quickly became a race with a closed track event at the Texas Motor Speedway and then on alternating years, a cross-country driving event, as is happening this year.
The Solar Car Challenge & Education Program is designed to help motivate students in science, engineering and alternative Energy by learning to plan, design, engineer, build, race, and evaluate roadworthy solar cars.
“We teach the kids how to build a plan, come up with a budget, fundraise, how to engineer the car and manage the project, all while they’re learning about how to harness energy from the sun to make a car go down the road,” said Dr. Lehman Marks, who founded Solar Car Challenge in 1993.
To date more than 85,000 students in 39 states have been challenged by this education program. This year 300 high school students on twenty-four teams from seven states will arrive on July 15 for the “scrutineering” of their solar-powered cars at Texas Motor Speedway. During that process, judges assess the mechanical, electrical and safety features of the cars the students designed from the ground up. The next day, the teams whose cars passed every element of the test begin the five-day road race.
The 2026 race begins on July 19 with the solar cars 631.7 miles from Fort Worth to Fort Stockton to see which team’s car can go the greatest distance.
Teams that want to participate in the Solar Car Race begin in the fall with educational workshops, although organizers note that some teams take two to three years to see their car come to fruition. There are four divisions in the race:
Once a design is complete, teams must meet rigorous requirements to qualify to participate. For example, they must complete detailed mechanical drawings that show safety cells, crush zones and roll bars. They also must submit manufacturer’s data sheets for the solar cells they intend to use, indicating specs that include the size of each solar cell, efficiency rating, number of watts per cell, and the list price of each solar cell. Types of solar cells are restricted according to the division the team is entering. The array, however, can be any size—as long as it fits within the maximum dimensions of the solar car.
Batteries also must meet specific requirements. For example, only rechargeable, commercial production, lead-acid or lithium iron phosphate batteries are permitted (with some exceptions). The total battery capacity cannot exceed 5.25 kWh at a 20-hour discharge rate (for lead-acid) or at a 1C discharge rate at nominal voltage (for lithium-iron phosphate). However, there is no limit to system voltage, number of cells, or modules.
Once the cars are complete, arrive at the Speedway and pass scrutineering, they’re off to the races. Along the 600+ mile route, teams will face adverse weather conditions, changing terrain and car breakdowns; all of which limit the number of miles driven in a day. The winning team is that which drove the most miles accumulated over the five-day race.
“This is the brain sport,” Marks said. “It’s not just about building the car, but how to drive that car, solve the inevitable problems that happen with the car, and keeping your team intact through five grueling days of racing. Doing the Solar Car Challenge makes these students better equipped to face the challenges they’ll have in life.”
The race is run completely by volunteers, with former Solar Car Challenge competitors returning many years after they’ve competed to share their expertise with the next generation of students. Sponsors for this year’s event include Oncor, Lockheed Martin, Dell Technologies, The Caraway Family Foundation, Enel North America, The Muscato Family Fund, and The Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas, Dallas.
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