Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2026: Day 2 results and images
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- École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) from Quebec leads the SOV class with 234 laps, neck-and-neck with Delft University of Technology of the Netherlands at 221 laps after Day 2.
- Delft holds the fastest single 3.1-mile lap at 3 minutes 12 seconds, averaging roughly 58 mph in a student-built fully solar vehicle — a speed the author calls astonishing for the category.
- Only two of nine MOV teams have qualified for the American Solar Challenge: Georgia Tech with 160 laps and App State with 146 laps, leaving the multi-occupant field described as "bleak."
- 30 teams are cleared for Day 3, with 12 already qualified for the cross-country American Solar Challenge — a number the author expects to grow significantly by day's end.
- SOV qualification required 200 miles (65 laps) in one day or 300 miles (97 laps) over two consecutive days, while MOV teams must hit a specific S-value score balancing speed, laps, and person-miles against a self-set target speed.
- Iowa State, Poly Montréal, and possibly MIT are expected to be the next MOV qualifiers, assuming no catastrophic mechanical issues during Day 3.
Why it matters: With only 2 of 9 Multi-Occupant Vehicle teams qualified, Georgia Tech and App State hold a structural lead heading into the cross-country American Solar Challenge, while the SOV title will be settled on Day 3 between ÉTS and Delft — separated by just 13 laps. Delft's 58 mph solar-car average signals that student-built vehicles are now running at highway-class speeds.
