Team Lux preparing for next solar car competition

Team Lux, Yale's solar car team, traveled to New York in October to participate in the EcoFest parade, New York's most prominent environmental parade. There, 14 out of the 30 undergraduate members of the team participated in the procession with the 1997 version of Yale's solar car, "Lux Aeterna."

Solar-powered cars built by teams from other universities were also featured in the parade, as were prototype models of electric cars from General Motors, Nissan and Honda. Participants drove down West End Avenue to Riverside Park, where they set up exhibits for spectators.

Team Lux, directed by senior Alexander Selkirk, is currently planning and constructing its next solar car. This newest version will compete in Sunrayce '99, a competition for solar cars built by college students, which will take place in mid-June. The Yale team first participated in Sunrayce in 1997; there they earned first place for a rookie team and ninth place overall.

The team is also looking forward to the World Solar Challenge, a solar car race across the Australian continent in the fall of 1999. This race is not limited to college students and features more prestigious competitors. According to Team Lux members, the more flexible regulations in the World Solar Challenge are inspiring them to improve the design and ability of the new car as much as possible.

Team Lux is planning many innovations for the new car. Using computer technology, they will be able to calculate -- even during the race -- the amount of energy available, based on weather conditions, hills in the road, etc. This, say team members, will allow the driver to go as fast as possible as often as possible. (Currently, solar powered cars have a maximum speed of about 60 miles an hour.)

Another important improvement is in the shape of the car's outer surface, which is covered in delicate solar cells. The 1997 Lux Aeterna was mostly flat; the new car will have a curved surface to allow more room for solar cells. Because of new regulations, it will also have four wheels instead of three.

Team Lux's activities are funded by the engineering department and by corporate sponsors, including Ford and Goodyear Tire.