University of Minnesota Foundation

Legacy

Spring 2020
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Sun stoked

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The University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project was founded by a group of undergraduate students in 1990. They competed in their first race with their first car, Aurora I, three years later. 

The team has built 13 solar vehicles since the beginning and is one of the most decorated in the United States. Their success wouldn’t have happened without generous support from corporate sponsors and individual donors. 

The team has started work on the next model, Freya I, in a new workshop that was made possible with a gift from Clifford I. Anderson honoring Professor Emeritus Patrick J. Starr.  

Images courtesy U of M Solar Vehicle Project

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Aurora I, the U of M’s first solar vehicle, was built to compete in GM Sunrayce USA ’93.
Construction of Aurora II was completed in 1995. That year, the team took second place in Sunrayce and went on to compete in the 1995 World Solar Rally in Japan.
Competing in Aurora III, the team won first place in the Junior Class at the 1998 World Solar Rally in Japan.
Aurora IV was unveiled in 1999, the year the team competed for the first time in the World Solar Challenge in Australia.
Borealis I was a departure from the previous design. The team placed sixth with the car at the American Solar Challenge 2001, which followed old Route 66.
Borealis II, built in 2003, took second place in the 2003 American Solar Challenge, which followed old Route 66.
Borealis III, completed in 2005, was the team’s most successful vehicle, winning the Formula Sun Grand Prix and taking the runner-up position in the 2005 North American Solar Challenge.
Centaurus I was the eighth vehicle built by the U of M Solar Vehicle Project team. In 2009, the team won Formula Sun Grand Prix for the third time with Centaurus I.
Built in 2010, Centaurus II took home the gold at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the U of M’s fourth Formula Sun Grand Prix win.
The U’s first ever Cruiser Class vehicle, Daedalus, was unveiled in 2013.
Eos I was the second Cruiser Class vehicle built by the Solar Vehicle Project. It was designed for the World Solar Challenge 2015.
EOS II proved to be the most reliable and efficient of the team’s solar cars, driving across the entire Australian outback in 2017 without breaking down.

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