‘World’s First Off-Road Solar SUV’ Drives Across Morocco

A new SUV that uses solar panels installed on its sloping roof to charge its electric batteries has been tested in Morocco, as manufacturers begin to develop vehicles that can be used in areas where petrol stations or electric chargers are not available.

The “world’s first off-road solar-powered vehicle,” built by a team of students at Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE), could help connect remote areas “where roads are less developed and energy grids are not as reliable,” and can assist with emergency assistance and delivery, according to Thiem Bosman, the team’s events manager.

Earlier this month, the team tested the vehicle in Morocco, travelling over 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) from the country’s northern coast to the Sahara Desert in the south.

“There’s a variety of landscapes and different surfaces in a fairly short distance in Morocco,” says Bosman, adding that the car was tested on “every type of surface that a car like this can encounter.”

The road-legal vehicle has a top speed of 145 kilometres per hour (90 miles per hour). On a sunny day, its battery range is approximately 710 kilometres (441 mi) on-road and approximately 550 kilometres (342 mi) off-road, depending on the surface. The team estimates that in cloudy conditions, the range could be reduced by 50 kilometres.

According to Bosman, the vehicle was one-third more efficient than expected during the trip, and its lightweight design made it less likely to get stuck in rough terrain and put less strain on its suspension.

Drivers of solar-powered SUVs are free to go wherever they want because they are capable of travelling off-road and do not require charging points, according to Van Ginkel. He says the only limitation is, “What will you do when you want to sleep?”

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Stella Terra is based on the concept of a previously built solar-powered campervan at the university, and designers have added elements of an SUV to make it livable for long-distance, multi-day trips, such as a car. The seats completely recline to form a bed. When the car is stopped, the solar panels can be extended to provide maximum charging while also acting as an awning to provide shade.

According to Bosman, the team has also developed highly efficient solar panel converters, which he hopes will benefit the broader solar industry.

Electric SUVs are larger and heavier than standard electric vehicles, necessitating the use of larger, heavier batteries to power them.

“Where the SUV market is currently innovating on previous models, we really started from the ground up and designed everything ourselves,” says Bosman. It was critical to reduce the vehicle’s weight and the team of 22 students concentrated on making each component as efficient as possible. The Stella Terra weighs approximately 25% less than the average mid-size SUV at 2,645 pounds (1,200 kg).

According to Bob Van Ginkel, Stella Terra’s technical manager, the aerodynamic design reduces drag and uses “light and strong” composite materials to reduce weight.

“(One) advantage of top-mounted solar panels is that we can have a much smaller battery because we’re charging while driving,” says Van Ginkel.