Last week saw the launch of the South African Solar Car Development Foundation (SASCDF), a non-profit organization formed to help equip high school learners and tertiary students with necessary skills and knowledge in order to be able to build a solar car – contributing towards sustainable transportation.

The launch, which was officiated by the owner and director of both the Sasol Solar Challenge and Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge, Robert Walker, was held virtually and attended by various high schools and tertiary institutions across South Africa, industry-based organisations, and companies as well as members of the media.

The founding of the foundation comes after schools and tertiary institutions across the country expressed their interests in participating in both the Sasol Solar Challenge and Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge to experiment with different energy and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts. However, barriers such as lack of financial support and necessary skills and knowledge, are some of the biggest challenges faced to start a solar car project and build a fully functioning solar car in order to participate in solar car events.

To help upskill and support the prospective solar car teams in designing and building cutting-edge solar cars, the foundation will collaborate with like-minded industry leaders and specialists with extensive experience in both the transportation and alternative energy sectors.

“The wheels of sustainable transportation are slowly turning, this means more diverse STEM and energy innovations are required to contribute towards the future of mobility in the country. We are therefore thrilled to launch the South African Solar Car Development Foundation, which aims to attract young minds into STEM-related fields and empower them to develop solar car projects,” said Robert Walker, founder, and director of the South African Solar Car Development Foundation.

“The foundation will link solar car projects to the Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge and the Sasol Solar Challenge. Once a team has acquired all the necessary skills and knowledge and have built a solar car, they will then participate in the Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge to test their solar car on a closed track, and subsequently compete in the Sasol Solar Challenge on the open roads of South Africa.”

The SASCDF will serve as the central resource centre for emerging solar car projects to gain access to funding and resources through donors and partners, including materials to build solar cars as well as knowledge sharing from various field specialists and experienced solar car teams.

For high school learners, starting a solar car project as early as in grade 9, they are given an opportunity to learn about various STEM and energy concepts and thereafter, apply that knowledge and skills to build a fully functioning solar car. This will gain them valuable experience that will subsequently open various doors for them in the future when they further their studies at tertiary institutions.

“The foundation will focus on hands-on learning of STEM education, with real-world applications. This will teach these young minds critical thinking skills and instil a passion for innovation as they prepare to build their cutting-edge solar cars to participate in the Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge and subsequently move to the Sasol Solar Challenge,” said Walker.

He added that: “The aim is not to only develop solar car teams for solar challenges but grow a group of knowledgeable and experienced scientists and engineers who will transform the transportation sector and make it sustainable in the near future.”

The foundation will run in three phases:

Phase one

• Tertiary institutions will be able to apply into the foundation from November 2022 in order to get their solar car projects ready for the 2023 Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge, which will take place in July at Red Star Raceway in Delmas, Mpumalanga. Meanwhile, registrations for high schools will open in March 2023.

Phase two

• Successful applicants will receive mentorship and various materials, which will include basic funding, learning materials, and car parts to help start the solar car projects.

Phase three

• All participating applicants submit status reports for their projects to substantiate if their solar car project proves to be on track and viable. The rest of the funding and all other required materials are then allocated accordingly – to finalise projects and prepare for testing at the Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge.

Visit our website for more info: https://www.solarcarfoundation.co.za/