42 Teams Enter Record Electrek Solar Car Challenge
SkimNews Take
With 42 teams traversing 1,500+ miles of varied terrain, the event functions as a distributed field test generating comparable performance data across diverse real-world conditions—something no single corporate test program can replicate at this scale.
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- 42 college teams from the US, Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands are registered for the July 21–23 Formula Sun Grand Prix pre-qualifier at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota—the largest field in the event's history.
- Qualifying teams will compete in the Electrek American Solar Challenge, an 8-day, 4-stage route from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Amarillo, Texas (July 25–August 1), following Historic Route 66 and logging 1,500+ miles.
- The ASC has been named an official Route 66 Centennial Project, with event director Gail Lueck noting it marks 25 years since solar cars last traveled the 'Mother Road'—timed to Route 66's 100th anniversary in 2026.
- Sponsor lineup includes Blue Origin, Tesla, SpaceX, MathWorks, Caterpillar, Generac, and Wattch, building on Electrek's 2023 five-year title sponsorship with the Innovators Educational Foundation (IEF) that secures funding through 2028.
- Teams compete in two classes: Single-Occupant Vehicle (SOV), scored on efficiency, and Multi-Occupant Vehicle (MOV), which earns credit for both total and passenger miles.
Why it matters: With 42 teams—the largest field ever—the race has outgrown its qualifier-only status to become a genuine proving ground for student-built EVs heading onto public highways. The Route 66 Centennial designation gives college engineers a marquee stage just as GM, Tesla, and SpaceX fund the pipeline that could supply their future hires.
