Background Information
One of the team's major efforts is to raise environmental awareness and stir up interest in renewable energy. The team often travels and teaches about education and the environment and takes part in local community events such as the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest parade and high school visits. On average the cost of the solar vehicle can reach over $200,000; with the solar cells and array costing the most. Much of the funding comes from donations and gifts; the two largest sponsors who contribute over $25,000 to our most recent project, MSX are Diamond Aircraft and Formashape 3D Architectural Design Solutions.
The team currently holds the Guinness World Record for "Longest Journey by Solar Electric Vehicle.”The trip took place from August 7 through September 14, 2004, the car traveled a total of 15,070 km (9,360 mi) through the United States and Canada. The journey started at the university's Davis Center and visited Vancouver, San Francisco, Houston, Florida, Washington DC, New York City, and Halifax before finishing at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Due to the solar car's unusual design, during the trip on two occasions locals phoned radio stations to announce that a UFO was driving on the highway. The team officially broke the record on August 26 when they crossed the border from California to Arizona. The previous record was held by Queen’s University with a total of 7044 km travelled during July 2000.
Although the team's work on the car is not part of the school curriculum, some students can integrate class projects into the club. For example, all engineering undergraduates are required to do a senior design project; some engineers design parts for the car, submit them for marks, and then install them.
Read more about this topic: Midnight Sun Solar Race Team
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