KU Leuven’s Innoptus Solar Team Finishes Third in World Solar Challenge
The Innoptus Solar Team from KU Leuven secured third place in the World Solar Challenge in Australia on Thursday, losing their title following two consecutive victories in the prestigious solar car race. The Belgian team began the competition on Sunday in 16th place, making significant progress to reach second by Wednesday. However, with 236 kilometers remaining to Adelaide on Thursday, the team ultimately finished third, behind two Dutch teams, reports 24brussels.
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge occurs biennially, featuring teams globally racing across 3,021 kilometers from Darwin to Adelaide through the challenging Australian Outback. This event is recognized as the unofficial world championship for solar cars.
Overtaken During Stop
The Belgian team faced a critical moment when they finished Wednesday’s leg with a depleted battery. During a necessary half-hour recharge stop on Thursday, they lost their second-place position to the Twente team from the Netherlands. “We started less than three kilometers behind the leaders today,” said energy engineer Maarten Vansteenkiste. “Because we didn’t have enough energy in the morning, we had to stop to recharge, which caused us to drop back to third place.”
