Engineering
The Engineering Division creates everything from the circuit boards to the motor to the shell. Here, the members of the Solar Vehicle Project apply the lessons learned in the classroom to a physical project, ultimately developing a car. The Engineering Division works with faculty at the University of Minnesota as well as industry advisors from our sponsors to learn from their experience and incorporate their wisdom in designs.
Array
The Array Team is responsible for designing and manufacturing the car’s solar array. Many chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, and biosystem and bioproducts engineering majors are on this team. The Array Team is an especially good fit for those interested in sustainability and renewable energy.
Composites and Structures
Composites and Structures encompasses all of the structural aspects, and the overall look of the car. The Composites and Structures team consists mainly of aerospace and mechanical engineers, along with a wide range of design majors to design and build everything integrated into the body of the car. With the Composites and Structures Team, students gain experience working with CAD and simulation software, for the best build quality possible in our custom car.
Electrical
The Electrical Team is responsible for a large number of performance-critical and user-facing systems in the car. Whenever possible, we try to implement our own designs so that we can customize the design to our specific needs, allowing us to maximize performance and learning. In fact, we are one of the few teams in the world that designs and manufactures our own electric motors. Other systems that use proprietary designs include the battery, dashboard, center console, lights, vision, sensors, steering wheel, and telemetry. These systems cover a wide range of Electrical and Computer Engineering sub-disciplines including power electronics, circuit design, and microcontroller programming.
Mechanical
The Mechanical Team is responsible for designing and manufacturing the moving components of the solar car. Systems this team works on include motors, suspension, and steering. These students are typically studying mechanical engineering, but students of all majors are welcome.
Operations
The Operations Division is responsible for managing the Solar Vehicle Project's outreach, keeping the organization present in our community, and tracking the financial health of the organization. The Operations Division plans everything from the World Solar Challenge logistics to corporate outreach during the career fair. This division manages the resources of the organization to ensure its longevity.
Recruiting
One of the most important aspects of a successful solar car team is to recruit the best and brightest new students. All students at the University of Minnesota, no matter the major, are welcome to join the project.
Events
Events Group is responsible for organizing events and races for our organization. This team works closely with the Marketing Group for outreach events. Events Group is looking for leaders with a knack for bringing people together.
Finance
Finance Group creates a budget and ensures that the development and competition of our solar car adheres to it. To do so, they approve purchases and manage inventory. They also manage funds from the University and our sponsors. The Finance Group needs students of any discipline interested in the financial operations of a nonprofit organization.
Marketing
Marketing Group is responsible for promoting the brand of our organization. From social media to sponsor presentations, they develop and distribute the materials that expose our work to new people and inform on our mission. The Marketing Group works closely with all Engineering Groups to ensure promotional materials are accurate. Marketing Group hopes to find students interested in developing and carrying out marketing strategies on all of its teams or designing materials for use in promotion.