Solar powered race cars are ultra-efficient electric land vehicles capable of travelling across entire continents at highway speeds on a single battery charge. Their design and operation represent one of the most unique and challenging problems of systems optimization and cross-country logistics as the vehicles are designed to race in environments ranging from the American Midwest to the Australian Outback. GTSR focuses primarily on speed-based vehicles, known as the Challenger class, and competes in the American Solar Challenge.

Overall, the goal is to optimize speed per power: to achieve the fastest velocities for the least amount of power cost. To do this requires both depth and breadth of knowledge across multiple STEM and non-STEM fields. The overall team is broken into five divisions with subteams that dig deeper into each facet of the vehicle’s design. They are:

· Mechanical à Aerobody, Brakes & Pedals, Frame (Chassis), Steering, and Suspension

· Electrical à Drivetrain, Batteries, Solar, Telemetry, and Auxiliary Systems

· Business – Acquires and manages sponsors for the team and oversees budget planning

· Outreach – Coordinates the team’s physical presence at displays and media online

· Race Operations – Plans the race and coordinates team logistics for drive tests

Members can tackle technical & non-technical problems in-depth such as streamlined aerodynamics, space frame design, solar array design & fabrication, battery protection systems, CAN communication, welding (TIG/MIG), carbon fiber/fiberglass layup, long-range telemetry, human-machine interface design, structural analysis, suspension design & analysis, controller design, battery balancing, and more.