A group of Canadian university students has made significant strides in clean energy solutions by developing a groundbreaking solar-powered electric vehicle.
The team, initially composed of just five students from Halifax’s Dalhousie University, has now grown to include a diverse group of 80 students specializing in various engineering and computer science disciplines.
Their creation, named “NOVA,” is set to make its debut on the racetrack this summer. What sets NOVA apart is that it is the first solar-powered vehicle of its kind in Atlantic Canada, encompassing the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
“We really want to show people how powerful clean energy and clean transportation can be,” team member Kate Arsenault told CTV News.
This achievement marks a major milestone for the region in sustainable transportation and highlights the innovative capabilities of these ambitious university students. Started in 2021 with just five students, the team now comprises 80 electrical, computer, mechanical, chemical, environmental, industrial, and engineering students, along with computer science students.
Nova produces its energy by using solar panels, which are stored in a battery that eventually supplies current to the motor via the motor controller.
“It’s what makes our car move,” Noah Bugden, the solar team motor lead told CTV News.
One of the major advantages of solar-powered cars is lower-impact transportation hence in only a few years the world’s first commercial solar electric vehicles will be hitting the markets.
Technology like solar cars is just one of example that can help us clean the air around us and reduce the rapidly snowballing effect of global warming.
In the first 10-12 months of average use, a solar car can actually be energy-positive, meaning it produces more energy than it consumes, according to a report from the United Nations.
NOVA will be seen around the racetrack in an annual international closed-circuit car race being held this summer called Formula Sun Grand Prix. The team is currently trying to raise funds for the program
