Vehicle Classes

Vehicle Classes

Teams at the American Solar Challenge and Formula Sun Grand Prix compete in one of two classes or can particiapte in the non-competitive demonstration class. Click below to learn about each vehicle class. 

Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) Class

  • Seats one person
  • 6m2 solar array size
  • Battery capacity is limited to 5.25kWh
  • Recharging the battery via non-solar sources is not allowed
  • Scoring is based on the highest overall official distance driven or laps completed over the duration of the event with ties being broken by the lowest overall official elapsed time or fastest lap
  • Primary objective is to complete the full American Solar Challenge base route
  • Secondary objective is to complete as many official miles as possible by completing the optional loops at stops
  • Tiebreaker for teams who complete the same number of miles is shortest elapsed time
FSGP 2021 SOV Podium. 1: Kentucky, 2: MIT, 3: Illinois
2021 SOV Class Podium

Multi-Occupant Vehicle (MOV) Class

  • Vehicles can seat at least 2 people
  • 5m2 solar array size
  • Battery capacity is limited 15.5kWh
  • Recharging the battery via non-solar sources is allowed and metered
  • To do well in this class teams must be able to much more than simply drive as far as possible during the event. They must balance that with practicality considerations in their design. 
  • For detailed information about MOV Scoring, please reference the latest event regulations. At a high level, the formula is 40% distance, 40% efficiency, and 20% practicality.
  • Primary objective is to complete the American Solar Challenge base route without trailering, teams that do not will automatically rank below those who do
  • Secondary objective is to maximize their score according to the above formula
2021 MOV Class Podium

Demonstration Class

  • Non-competitive class for vehicles designed for past or future events.
  • Vehicles must have passed scrutineering in a previous FSGP, ASC, or other solar car competition in the past four years

~ or ~

  • Be designed for a future solar car competition with published regulations
  • These vehicles will be scrutineered to the regulations they were designed for with the exception that they must meet current safety related regulations. 
MOV Class Vehicles Charge from Standard EV Chargers
Pictured: Minnesota's 2021 Vehicle
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