Swift, light and sleek as a gull’s wing, the Schulich Axiom will whip into Stettler during a training run next week.
Various versions of the three-wheeled single seater, powered by the sun, have been built over the past four years for competition in major international events, including the Australian Solar Car Challenge, taking place in October.
People interested in getting a closer look at the vehicle and chatting with its creators are invited to Stettler Elementary School at noon on Monday, when it will be put on public display for the first time since its latest round of modifications.
The car is named for Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary, whose students designed and built the car with support from a variety of other faculties.
It was found to be heavier than necessary at its last competition in the United States, says team spokeswoman Jordyn Troyer, a student in the university’s Haskayne School of Business.
The team determined that the car’s carbon fibre shell was must stronger than necessary, so the number of layers in the shell was reduced, stripping its weight from 650 to 350 kg.
The stop in Stettler highlights a mock race that starts at the university during the weekend and heads to Elk Island Park via Medicine Hat before looping back through Camrose on its way home.
Although capable of reaching speeds of 140 km/h, the car and the units travelling with it will stick with the speed limit for the entire trip, said Troyer.
The Schulich Axiom travels with two marked escort units — one in front and one behind — to protect it from being struck by other vehicles, she said.
Passing motorists often try to get a closer look at the car, so team members practise driving tactics devised to keep them at a safe distance, said Troyer.
The lead and chase cars are both equipped with flashing orange lights to improve visibility and the solar car is not allowed to travel after 8 p.m., she said.
The Schulich Axiom was built with support from sponsors and other fundraising efforts.
Materials to build the car cost roughly $500,000, said Troyer. The students who built the car worked for free. Otherwise, the labour component would likely have reached about $2 million, she said.
Troyer anticipates that the Axiom will face at least 30 competitors in Australia this fall.
bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com