Sunrunner: The Engineering Report

Solar energy has been successfully applied to automobile propulsion. Designers of solar-powered vehicles must address issues such as aerodynamic efficiency, vehicle weight, and energy collection capacity. These designs require use of advanced material, battery, and motor technologies. This paper details the design of the University of Michigan's Sunrunner, first-place finisher of the GM Sunrayce USA. Aerodynamics, solar array layout, choice of battery technology, and chassis design are discussed.