How to build a solar powered EV? SolarPack has some stylish answers

When some students at North Carolina State University decided to enter the American Solar Challenge — a biennial race for solar powered cars — they knew they would be up against some fierce competition from students at other colleges and universities. Typically, the cars that enter are little more than go-karts with a few solar panels held in place with cable ties. But Byron Sells, who began the solar car challenge at NCSU, wanted more than a car that would limp across the finish line as the wheels fell off. “I told the team, ‘Let’s make something compelling that the consumer actually wants to buy,’” he says.