The Solar Car Challenge is an international STEM competition where high school teams design, build, and race fully roadworthy solar-powered vehicles at prestigious venues like Texas Motor Speedway and on cross-country tours. Founded in 1993, the program gives students hands-on experience in renewable energy technology, engineering design, project management, and teamwork throughout a year-round build season. It is one of the most immersive and technically demanding STEM challenges available to high school students, offering a rare opportunity to engineer a real vehicle from the ground up.
Breaking down a challenge and working through it methodically to a solution.
Planning tasks, timelines, and resources to get a project done on schedule.
Guiding a group toward a shared goal and keeping everyone moving together.
Modeling parts and products in 3D software before they're built for real.
Planning and building electronic circuits that power devices and systems.
Evaluating information carefully before drawing a conclusion or making a decision.
Students design and build roadworthy solar cars, directly applying mechanical engineering principles to chassis, drivetrain, and structural systems.
Solar car projects require designing and integrating electrical systems, power management, and solar panel circuits.
The challenge emphasizes alternative energy awareness and sustainable transportation solutions central to environmental engineering work.
Building autonomous or semi-autonomous solar vehicles involves robotics principles, sensor integration, and control systems.
Teams manage budgets, secure sponsorships, and operate as functional project units mirroring small business operations.
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