The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has unveiled its latest solar car that the school is entering in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia this October. The vehicle is powered by batteries from Amprius, a California maker of lithium-ion batteries with its Silicon Anode Platform.
The 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, which runs from Oct. 22-29, features teams from schools and companies around the world that design, develop, and pilot a solar-powered vehicle along a 3,000-kilometer transcontinental Australian route from the northern city of Darwin to the southern city of Adelaide.
“It was an honor to attend the revealing of the ‘Astrum’ solar car in Ann Arbor.” says Kang Sun, CEO of Amprius. “As a company that was founded out of Stanford University, we are passionate about supporting collegiate STEM programs.
“The Astrum car will be pushed to its limits during this 3,000-kilometer race. Our next-generation batteries were selected after a rigorous technical evaluation and will provide exceptional endurance and range to a vehicle that will be pushed to its limits in extreme conditions.”
Amprius also is partnering with several additional collegiate solar car teams competing in this year’s race, including Delft University of Technology in Delft, Netherlands; KU Leuven in Leuven, Belgium; and University of Twente and Saxion University of Applied Sciences in Enschede, Netherlands.
