Invest in Our Award-Winning Solar Car Team's Rebuild
After a third place win at the ASC Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix in Topeka, Kansas, this past summer against top schools in the field of tech and engineering, the ISU Solar Car Team is a point of pride for Illinois State University.
We need your help to raise a minimum of $5,000 this fall to launch the rebuild of our award-winning car!
It's been 5 years since the current model (Mercury 6) was built. A rebuild is imperative to keep up with the latest technology and to keep its competitive edge.
The overall cost to rebuild the solar car will be over $60,000. For the team to get started, we are asking our Redbird community to give at least $5,000 by December 31.
Your donation will help to pay for new batteries, solar cells and other equipment/tools.
The goal of the Illinois State Solar Car Team is to design and construct a new fully solar-powered vehicle (Mercury 7) according to the latest set of regulations released by the American Solar Challenge (ASC), then race that car at the ASC’s biennial race. Learn more about the design process here.
About the Solar Car Team
The Illinois State University Solar Car Team is a student-led organization that designs, builds, and races solar vehicles against teams from around the world. The team consists of a multidisciplinary group of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty who volunteer time and energy to advance their skills and the promise of renewable energy.
Students working on the Solar Car Team have the opportunity for hands-on learning for their future careers - learning renewal energy, project management, engineering and design, welding, programming, 3-D modeling, and multidisciplinary teamwork.
The award-winning team successfully builds a new solar car every five years. Your gift will help to provide technology and equipment, as well as cover expenses for travel to national collegiate competitions.
Thank you for supporting our students!
The Solar Car Team is a registered student organization sponsored by Dr. Dan Holland, Chair, Department of Physics. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible through the ISU Foundation Solar Car Team Fund.
If you would like to discuss other ways to give, gifts-in-kind, or sponsorship opportunities of the Solar Car, please call the Office of Annual Giving at 309-438-7725.
Thank you for supporting the vision and goals of these accomplished Redbirds with the Solar Car Team.