Lodz Solar Team is a team of young people from Łódź who understand perfectly well that time spent at university is not just studying for exams, but above all a unique opportunity to realize ambitious plans. Such as creating Poland's first solar-powered racing car and participating in international solar vehicle competitions.
Eagle One – a one-of-a-kind racer
Countless hours of work by young engineers resulted in the creation of a vehicle fully adapted to function in road traffic. Their creation, the Eagle One racer, was equipped with 6 square meters of flexible, monocrystalline photovoltaic cells mounted on the roof panel. The energy obtained by them is stored in lithium-ion cells with a total mass of 60 kg and a capacity of 15 kWh, thanks to which fully charged batteries in sunny weather allow for a distance of nearly 1500 km. They power two electric motors of 5 kW each. Thanks to them, the rather unassuming-looking Eagle is able to accelerate to 120 km/h. The vehicle's parameters constantly amaze automotive enthusiasts – the most surprising of them is the weight of the entire racer, which is only 450 kg. The interior was equipped with 2 comfortable seats, upholstered with special spacer fabric and a functional interior, allowing for comfortable long-distance travel. The attention of those not focused on the vehicle's technical parameters is drawn in particular to the characteristic body line, which in shape resembles a water drop.
Polish Eagle in Australia
Completing the construction of the vehicle, which was uncertain until the very last moment of the project, was merely the beginning of the team's adventure, which soon became recognizable not only in Poland but around the world. The Eagle proved to be a fully functional vehicle that successfully passed all tests without problem, and during its first challenge on foreign soil traveled over 3000 kilometers across Australia. Achieving the best result among debuts and placing 6th in the Cruiser class and receiving the Safety Award, given to the constructors of the safest racer, provided the team with the motivation necessary to undertake further work awaiting them after their return from the distant continent.
Eagle One on the Dark Continent
Three years have passed since participation in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2015. Following the success achieved during the competition in Australia, the students won more laurels during the second solar car rally in the project's history – this time in South Africa. The young pioneers of eco-technology did not disappoint their supporters and sponsors. During the race, the team faced not only winding, hilly roads and a demanding distance, but also an unexpected engine failure, which did not prevent their participation in the competition thanks to support from other teams. Excellent preparation of the racer ensured successful completion of all tests, as well as a flawless journey through all of South Africa. The team returned from South Africa with five awards won during the solar energy-powered vehicle race – Sasol Solar Challenge 2016 – including setting 3 new records. During the 8-day competition, the Eagle One racer covered 2817 kilometers on the route from Pretoria to Cape Town as the first representative in the history of the event of the Cruiser class – vehicles with a passenger seat – which secured the team another unique trophy. Breaking trails for future representatives of the Cruiser class is not the only achievement of the Łódź team – the team was additionally honored with a special award, the Communication Award, given for the best media coverage of the event.
New racer – new challenges
The unforgettable journey to Africa resulted not only in new achievements, but above all in valuable experience that undoubtedly proved useful to new project participants during preparations for the next edition of the solar vehicle competition in Australia. This time, another representative of the Cruiser class started in it – Eagle Two. The premiere of the new racer took place on July 14 in the hall of Łódź Fabryczna railway station. The shape of the vehicle, designed in collaboration with students from Łódź Academy of Fine Arts, differs significantly from the silhouette of its predecessor – the new Eagle can accommodate as many as 5 people in its interior. The reduction affected not only the dimensions of the racer, but also its weight. The solar panels used with an efficiency of 24.3% and the aerodynamic shape of the vehicle favorably affected energy consumption, reduced by 1/3 compared to the previous racer. The designers of Eagle Two assure that their new Little Eagle is able to accelerate to speeds of 140 km/h.
Further successes
The culmination of months of work on the racer was the start in another, already 30th edition of the most prestigious solar energy-powered vehicle race – Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia. On October 13, 2017, the second Polish solar-powered racer reached the finish line in Adelaide, and at the same time the first car in the long history of the event capable of accommodating as many as 5 people. Despite difficult weather conditions, the team more than doubled its result from 2 years earlier, covering as many as 4496 person-kilometers. Additionally, the students managed to achieve 80% of points in the practicality test, thereby placing 5th in this category. We hope that the next edition of the competition will bring them even more success and satisfaction!
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