All teams are currently preparing their participation at the 24 hours iLumen European Solar Challenge. During the next weeks, each team will be presented on the iESC website. Today we introduce you to the the Solaris Car Team from Izmir, Turkey.

The team

Team Solaris was founded in 2003 at Dokuz Eylul University – Izmir/Turkey. Until 2015,Team Solaris manufactured five solar cars (DesTech Solaris-2015,S7-2013,Smyrna-2010,S2-2006 and Erke-2005) and four electrical cars (DEMobile 1,2, 7 and 35). Team Solaris participated over twenty national or international solar car or EV events with team’s own design and production vehicles in Turkey, Morocco, Australia, Belgium, Austria and Greece. The team achieved some successes like winner of Moroccan Solar Challenge 2014, third place in Turkish Solar Car Challenge, third in Turkish EV Race in 2014. The team contains four subgroups which are electronics, mechanics, sponsorship & corporate affairs and media.

Besides, Team Solaris organizes many activities for driving DeMobil EVs, Solaris solar cars, presentations to high and middle schools and forestation of campus area of Dokuz Eylul University.

Some challenges/competitions and taken positions can be seen in the table below.

Challenge/Competition	Year of Race	Result	Car(s)
Tubitak FormulaG – Izmir Cup	2006	3rd	S1
Tubitak Formula G – ANOK Cup	2007	Winner and 2nd Place	S1 and S2 (Solar Cars)
Sun Life Solar Car Design Contest	2008	2nd	S2
Tubitak Formula G	2012	4th Place	Smyrna (Solar Car)
Moroccan Solar Challenge	2013	2nd Place	S2 (Solar Car)
World Solar Challenge	2013	6th Place (Adventure)	S7 (Solar Car)
Tubitak Formula G	2013	3rd and 5th Place	S7 and Smyrna (Solar Cars)
Tubitak Electromobil	2014	3rd Place	DEMobil 35(Electric Car)
Moroccan Solar Challenge	2014	Winner	S7
European Solar Challenge	2014	5th Place+2014 ESC Spirit of The Event	Smyrna
Bridgestone World Solar Challenge	2015	25th Place (Challenger)	DesTech Solaris
Tubitak ElectroMobil	2015	3rd in own designed and manufactured parts competition, 9th in energy performance race	DEMobil 35
Tubitak ElectroMobil	2016	2nd in own designed and manufactured parts competition 11th in energy performance race	DEMobil 35

 

The car

 

 

The most important information about the DesTech Solaris (S8) car can be found below:

Name of the car:  DesTech Solaris (S8)

Dimensions:4.5m*1.80m*1.05m

Year of manufacturer:2015

Weight of Car:199 Kg (with 5kWh batteries)

Battery Type:Lithium ion

Nominal Voltaja of Battery Pack:108 Volt

Solar Cell Type: Mono Silicon

Efficiency of Solar Cells: %21.8

Motor Type: BLDC Hub – team design

Body and Chasiss:Carbon fiber-Monocoque

Tyres:90/80-16’’ Tubeless

Number of Tyres: 4

The challenge

Team Solaris finished on the fifth place during the iLumen European Solar Challenge of 2014. What is the team’s opinion about the Circuit Zolder race track? “According to observations of the team, the Zolder race track has many advantages for solar car challenges. However, there are recommendations from the team for the dates of the challenge which should fit even better in Belgian summer time.”

The iESC is unique in the sense that it is an endurance race of 24 hours.”In Turkey, many people are asking lots of question about solar cars. Some of these questions are: ‘Can we drive solar cars at night?’ or ‘Can we drive these cars without sun?’ During this race, people are going to watch solar cars at night. If teams drive the solar cars during 24 hours, advantages and disadvantages of solar cars are going to be examined clearly by the people. Thus, people will be able to form an opinion about the future of solar cars.”

Will the solar teams be able to beat the Tesla S model? “If the challenge will be based on vehicle efficiency instead of top speed and if the weather is good enough, Team Solaris believes that DesTech Solaris Solar Car will be able to challenge the Tesla S model. The Circuit Zolder race track is a challenging track and the teams which will join the challenge are the best teams of the countries they came. This of course excites us to race and share technical knowledge. Even the tents will be most probably wet and the night in circuit will be cold, the brotherhood which was at high level in 2014 guides us to be there.”

Following the Team Solar members, people should not hesitate to come visit Circuit Zolder during the iESC. “Everybody should come to see the technical levels of electric cars which will be in streets in future, to compare a top level mass production electric car with solar cars, to share technical information,…”

Video of Team Solaris at the World Solar Challenge 2015

Video of Team Solaris at Tubitak ElectroMobil 2015