Stella Vie, the third member of the Stella family that is going to participate in the World Solar Challenge, is about to depart for Australia. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge takes place in October and involves traveling 3,000 km from Darwin to Adelaide. It will be the third time that Solar Team Eindhoven has competed in the event’s Cruiser class. The first two attempts ended with a victory.
Obviously, the solar panels will be the most important parts of the car during this race. Thanks to the solar roof, the family car is capable of traveling 1,000km on one full battery. But winning the Challenge requires more than just the right panels. That’s why Solar Team Eindhoven has teamed up with a wide range of partners to help them perform. For example, AkzoNobel’s Specialty Coatings business is offering technical advice to the team, as well as a range of innovative painting products, including primers, basecoat, and clearcoat.
AkzoNobel says the paint is not only effective but also sustainable. “Working with talented engineers and technicians is always a great experience, particularly when it involves a project which is so closely related to our own efforts to create a more sustainable future,” said Managing Director of Specialty Coatings, Alberto Slikta. “We pride ourselves on combining high-performance technology with world class color expertise and our exclusive partnership with Solar Team Eindhoven is an exciting way to showcase our capabilities.”
Added Beatrix Bos, Public Relations Manager for Solar Team Eindhoven: “Painting a solar car is not easy. AkzoNobel gave us lots of advice on how to do the job and which materials to use – and the end result looks fantastic.” The team describes the car as “a balance between aerodynamic, aesthetic and practical design.” It will provide a stern test for the company’s coatings as it travels under the blistering sun of the Australian desert.
The partnership with Solar Team Eindhoven is not a first for AkzoNobel: the company also partnered with Delft based Nuon Solar Team. This team won for the sixth time in their category the last time the event was staged, in 2015.
Picture Stella Vie: (c) Bart van Overbeeke
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