Donors & Resources
Media Downloads
Access official IEF assets to help promote your team or cover the event:
IEF Event Graphics & Branding Assets
Logos, graphics, and design files for team use and press materials
FSGP & ASC Photo Galleries
Event photos from past years on Flickr
Media Kit
Looking to write about ASC or FSGP? Our media kit provides everything you need to tell the story.
Connect With Us
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Teams That Have Hit the Track
Since 2010, a wide range of university teams have taken part in FSGP and ASC—whether through scrutineering, track racing, or the full road event. Participation changes yearly depending on each team’s build schedule, budget, and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Follow the Innovators Educational Foundation on social media and stay up to date with team stories, event coverage, and behind-the-scenes content:
General
Can the public attend these events?
Yes. Both ASC and FSGP are free and open to the public. You can view the cars up close at display days, checkpoints, and track locations. Check the Event Hub for details.
How can I volunteer?
Events rely on volunteers to help with scrutineering, logistics, and track operations. No experience is required for some roles, though most of the scrutineering roles require a level of experience. Learn more on the Volunteer page.
Getting Started
How do we start a solar car team?
Start by gathering a group of motivated students and securing a faculty advisor. Define your project goals and explore available resources to understand vehicle requirements, timelines, and how to begin.
What resources are available for new teams?
IEF offers conference materials, design references, and mentor connections. See Info for New Teams FAQs below for guidance, timelines and support options.
Info for New Teams
Apply for Altair Sponsorship
Altair graciously provides free simulation and data analytics software to solar car teams preparing to participate in FSGP/ASC. A variety of free training resources are also included on their website. Complete the online form to apply for access for your solar car team: https://altairuniversity.com/sponsorshipapp/
MathWorks Software Offer
MathWorks offers complimentary software (MATLAB and Simulink) to solar car teams participating in FSGP/ASC. The license includes access to the online training suite of self paced content. Please visit their site for more information and to request your software license: https://www.mathworks.com/academia/student-competitions/american-solar-challenge-and-formula-sun-grand-prix.html
Begin communications with the staff and other teams
Let the staff know your team is interested by contacting us at ascteams@americansolarchallenge.org. Be sure to submit the entry form for the event you are intending to participate in. The sooner you submit, the sooner you will be added to our list serve for announcements to registered teams. In addition to the staff, you will want to reach out to other solar car teams. While this is a competition, teamwork and sportsmanship are highly encouraged, and hence, you will find many teams willing to help you along the way. Check out our Google Group or the /r/solarracing subreddit for open discussion with other teams, event staff, and solar car enthusiasts around the world. Finally, be sure to follow our Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr pages for updates.
Read the regulations – then, re-read the regulations
The regulations are the rules that must be followed. Print them out and go through them line by line to ensure full compliance. Adherence to the regulations will be checked in an inspection process known as scrutineering, which must be successfully completed prior to actually competing in any of our events. Attention to detail is important, and if you need additional clarification on any point, contact the regulations manager at ascregs@americansolarchallenge.org. It is much better to ask a question in advance rather than showing up to the event with something that cannot easily be fixed.
Create a project plan and stick to it
For most teams, designing and building a car is a two year project, hence why the American Solar Challenge is typically held every two years. It is important to develop a plan that will allow time to design the car, order supplies, build all of the components, and assemble them into a working solar car. Even for veteran teams, some tasks take longer than expected, so plan accordingly. You will also want to allow time for testing your solar car to provide driver practice and work out any issues prior to the event.
Submit paperwork and entry fees on time
Deadlines are clearly documented in the regulations and on the website. The sooner we receive your technical vehicle reports, the sooner our inspectors can provide feedback on your designs. Legal paperwork, such as the participation agreement, proof of insurance, and even checks to cover entry fees, can sometimes take a while to process, so be sure to start this process with the appropriate parties at your university early. Being one of the first teams to “all green” on the pre-event status board gives you the opportunity to have early scrutineering time slots.
Car not done? Show up anyway
Even if the car is not finished, seriously consider coming to the competition anyway. This will allow you to see the scrutineering process, experience the event, and meet and learn from the other teams. It may even give you ideas of what to do (or not do) the following year. Also, teams that pass scrutineering early are usually eager to help other teams that need a hand finishing their car.
Don’t forget, it’s not just about the solar car
While the solar car is definitely important, most solar car teams operate as small businesses. In addition to the engineering side, it’s important to also have team members focused on fundraising, public relations, and logistics. Teams often require corporate and individual donations to cover the expenses of building the car and going to competition. Many teams participate in local car shows and other outreach events in their hometowns to build additional awareness of their project. Teams also need to coordinate all of their own logistics for the event, including hotels, meals, laundry, rental cars, a truck and trailer, and supply needed race equipment – radio communications, uniform shirts, safety supplies, and support vehicle signage. These items can often be overlooked, so plan ahead to avoid scrambling at the last minute.
Event preparation
Practice is an important, but often skipped, step in the process. Here are some suggestions for how to prepare.
- We’d recommend setting a goal of at least 1000 pre-race solar car test miles. Once the solar car is drivable, drive it. Start in the parking lot with egress and low speed driving. Run all planned drivers through the dynamic tests. When their drivers are comfortable, go on the road. If feasible, consider driving part of the actual route for an American Solar Challenge event using an actual route book. The more mileage you can get on the car before the event the better. Reliability is huge factor in the competition so try to get all the bugs worked out before you show up.
- For a mock-road event, make it a longer distance than the car can cover in a single day to setup a 2-3 day “stage” with a couple of “checkpoints.” Have roles assigned and run everything from morning charging to battery impound per the regulations. This will force your team to consider logistics (lodging, eating while driving, etc) and make sure you know what non-car gear needs to be packed. It will also help you learn about your solar car, strategy, team dynamics, who is best at which roles, etc.
When operating your solar car on the road be sure to always have a support caravan with trained personnel and all appropriate safety equipment. - Create a daily checklist for things like water, food, fuel, checking solar car tire pressure, etc.
- Be prepared to have an observer and their luggage in your chase vehicle on the event.
- Things to bring along
- Amber flashers for your lead/chase vehicles
Safety equipment including first aid supplies, high visibility vests, cones, flags, fire extinguishers and suppression equipment, etc. - Specific tool boxes for various tasks – front/rear tire changes, mechanical/electrical tools, etc.
- Spare keys for all vehicles
- Spare solar car tires
- Amber flashers for your lead/chase vehicles
- Things to practice
- Radio communications in your caravan of lead, solar car, and chase – only one team member should be in communication with the solar car on a separate channel than the rest of the caravan
- Navigating with a printed route book
- How to block traffic while solar car is changing lanes, getting on/off the shoulder, or making a turn
- Scouting ahead upcoming road conditions and hazards and searching for good end of day locations such as a lakes
- Tire changes
- Driver swaps
- Fueling the caravan
- Handling restroom emergencies
- Line of command and who has final say – arguments waste precious time
About the Events
What’s the difference between ASC and FSGP?
The Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) is a 3-day endurance track race, with a total of 24 driving hours on a closed, road course track. On ASC years, FSGP also serves as the qualifying event to be eligible to go on the road.
The American Solar Challenge (ASC) is a cross-country road rally style event, covering on average 1500-2000 miles over 7-8 days. The route is broken into stages, with stage/checkpoints along the way for the public to see the solar cars up close and meet the teams.
What types of vehicles compete?
Teams enter either Single-Occupant Vehicles (SOV) or Multi-Occupant Vehicles (MOV), each with specific design rules and scoring systems. Learn more on the Vehicle Classes page.
Can teams compete in just one event?
All teams must pass FSGP to qualify for ASC. However, some newer teams choose to participate in FSGP only, especially in their first year.
Logistics & Support
What kind of fundraising is needed?
Budgets vary, but sponsorship is essential. Teams typically combine university support with donations, grants, and business partnerships. Resources on Fundraising and Team Management can help.
How long does it take to build a car?
It’s common for teams to take 18–24 months from planning to competition. Some teams start with simpler goals in their first year and scale up over time. It is also common for newer teams to purchase an older solar car and update it to the current regulations.
How can we get feedback on our design?
Design feedback is available through documentation reviews and scrutineering at FSGP. Many experienced teams also share tips at the Solar Car Conference.
Who is allowed to compete?
FSGP and ASC are open to collegiate teams from around the world that design and build a solar car in alignment with the event regulations. Universities and colleges do not need to have an engineering program. In fact, teams from several schools have participated, and the engineering program was introduced as a result of their involvement with the solar car team.
Solar Car Resources
Explore a curated collection of technical resources to assist in the design, construction, and optimization of solar vehicles. These materials encompass insights from past conferences, mechanical and electrical design guides, and practical tools developed by the solar car community.
Solar Car Design Reference Materials
Note: Regulations may have changed since these reference materials were created. Always consult the latest regulations to ensure design compliance, as some older documents may reference outdated or non-compliant practices.
Mechanical Design Resources
- Mechanical Commentary: In-depth analysis of mechanical systems and considerations.
- Designing Stable Three-Wheeled Vehicles: Strategies for achieving stability in three-wheeled designs.
- Front Suspension Static Analysis: Techniques for analyzing front suspension systems.
- Rod End Stress Calculations: Methods for calculating stresses on rod ends.
- Dynamics 101: Fundamentals of vehicle dynamics.
- Tire Load and Speed Rating: Understanding tire specifications and their implications.
Electrical Design Resources
The following links and documents are not endorsements of specific manufacturers or components. Teams should thoroughly research and test all components before use, under real-world conditions, to verify immunity to EMI, RFI, power system noise, and temperature. Many factors can affect the performance, accuracy, and reliability of battery protection circuitry.
Note: While these resources provide valuable guidance, always refer to the latest regulations to ensure compliance with current standards.
- Building Battery Arrays with Lithium-Ion Cells: Overview of best practices for assembling lithium-ion battery packs.
- Control and Management of Lithium Batteries: Techniques for managing battery health and safety.
- Cell Equalization Methods for Lithium Systems: Approaches for balancing cell voltages within battery packs.
- Battery and Electrical Safety Training: Guidelines for team safety in handling and designing electrical systems.
- Battery Protection System Test Procedure: Required testing procedures for verifying BPS functionality.
Past Conference Materials & Recordings
The IEF Solar Car Conference equips new and experienced teams with technical knowledge, project planning insights, and regulation updates through expert-led sessions.