Aurora Solar Car Team

OUR TEAM We are a non-profit group of volunteers based in Melbourne, Australia and dedicated to promoting sustainable personal mobility. Our membership includes an eclectic mix of industry professionals, amateur enthusiasts, academics and students. We originally formed in 1980 to compete in vehicle mileage marathons and switched to solar car challenges and circuit races in 1987. Over the past 25 years, we have traveled the world and demonstrated Australian innovation and ingenuity through competition. We now focus our efforts on designing, engineering, prototyping and demonstrating a fully road legal, solar-powered car for daily, off-the-grid use. OUR TECHNOLOGY In 2013, we co-developed, together with Symtech, a resonant soft-switching maximum power point tracker for solar vehicle use. Symtech now sells a commercialized version to other solar car teams around the world. In 1996, we co-developed, together with the CSIRO, University of Technology Sydney and University of Newcastle upon Tyne, the world’s most efficient electric wheel motor. Marand Precision Engineering’s commercialized version now powers many top-ranking solar cars. In 1993, we developed a unique, three-wheeled, wing-shaped vehicle configuration with a triangular rolling chassis, making our second, third and fourth generation solar cars the most aerodynamically and mechanically efficient in the world. OUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge Adventure Class winner 2010 Michelin Challenge Bibendum Design Award winner 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge Production Class winner 2003 Australian Sunrace outright winner 2002 Australian Greenhouse Office Sunrace outright winner 1999 World Solar Challenge outright winner 1998 Citipower Sunrace outright winner 1990 World Solar Challenge Lead Acid Battery Class winner