Dalhousie Solar Car Team Story, by Michelle Yee and Daniel Cabral

Ever stop by the Heavy Prototyping Lab on Sexton Campus? Well, you are sure to spot NOVA, Dalhousie’s very own fully functional solar car!

In 2021, when electrical engineering student Gina Park looked to join an engineering design team, something was missing. She wanted a hands-on, sustainability-centric, and technically challenging project that would better prepare students for future careers in the clean energy sector. It was from this astute observation and passion for innovation that Dalhousie Solar Car team (DalSol) was born!

Today, DalSol has flourished into a 25-member, multi-disciplinary team working together to design, build, and race Atlantic Canada's first 100% solar-powered car. Their ultimate test? The Formula Sun Grand Prix, an annual competition where teams across North America showcase their technical prowess, teamwork, and perseverance in a 5-day-long showdown to crown the best performing solar car!

The event itself consists of two main components; scrutineering, where each EV must pass all mandatory safety requirements, and the endurance portion, where teams aim to complete as many laps as possible in 3 days.

Leading up to the event, members worked around the clock to meet all the report deadlines and stringent safety criteria. After many sleepless nights and completing final preparations, they embarked on the 3400km journey from Halifax to Topeka, Kansas for their inaugural debut at FSGP in June 2023.

Right from the onset, the grit and determination of Dalhousie was on full display, as the team battled the blazing 30 °C heat during scrutineering. DalSol quickly gained the respect of other competitors by completing a series of inspections and dynamic tests to finish 3rd place overall, earning them a coveted starting position in the top three!

On race day the skies were clear, and spirits were high as the team rolled NOVA out to the starting line. The culmination of years of hard work and preparation had finally reached its apex, and this small team from Atlantic Canada was determined to leave their indelible mark on the final phase.

At the line up, the last few seconds start counting down, the green flags are waved, and they’re off! As NOVA speeds around the first lap of the track, its custom-built battery pack works perfectly to supply the power it collected from the solar array to the electric motor. With 1/16 the charge capacity of a Tesla model-S, NOVA is well equipped to last. After a full first day of racing in the books, DalSol is victorious in completing an impressive 52 laps! Now, with the sun setting fast, it is time for the team to re-energize the battery pack for another day of racing before it is impounded overnight.

Fast forward to the end of the event, the team has completed a total of 135 laps across 3-days on the track, totaling over 543 kilometers! This placed us 4th in the Single-Occupant Vehicle Class, in addition to receiving the Best New Team in Scrutineering Award!

With the first project cycle wrapping up, DalSol is now working on their goals for FSGP 2024. This comes with major design upgrades, an improved outreach strategy, increased social media presence and public engagement – all elements that bring us a greater connection to our fellow Dalhousie peers. You can find us running bake sales to raise funds throughout the year, participating in community events, and in the shop working on the car every Wednesday evening at 6pm.

Interested in supporting? Please visit our ProjectDal page!

To learn more about the team and keep up to date with our progress, check out our Instagram!