Belgium’s Innoptus Solar Team remained in second place after the second day of the Electrek American Solar Challenge, trailing Dutch leaders Delft by 13 minutes with six days of racing still to go.
The KU Leuven students, racing their solar car, Infinite Apollo, said the fight for overall victory remained wide open as the eight-day event continues towards Texas.
“We were able to follow our strategy perfectly,” said electronics engineer Robbe Willaert. “Our car never had to stop and performed well. It was therefore a boring day, but that is a good sign.”
The day began in thick fog caused by extremely high humidity. Even after the fog cleared, heavy cloud cover remained, reducing the amount of sunlight available.
Despite the conditions, the team said new, more efficient solar cells fitted to Infinite Apollo allowed the car to generate enough energy to stay on course.
The combination of high temperatures and humidity also made conditions inside the cockpit difficult. The team is following a strict hydration plan, and its drivers completed heat training.
Over eight days, competitors are covering a route that goes from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Amarillo, Texas. Along the way, teams will pass through eight US states and travel sections of the historic Great River Road and Route 66.
Innoptus Solar Team will continue south towards Texas in the coming days, with the race due to finish on 1 August.
