�The first step towards a utility car� is the premise governing the design of the Nuna 4 project, the fourth iteration of a team that has laid claim to an unprecedented three World Championships in solar car racing.

Finite fossil fuel resources are being depleted at record rates, and thus brings an ever increasing drive to develop new technologies to bring sustainability to vehicle design. Solar cars are viable long term solutions to solving this problem. It is well known that most cars spend a good deal of their lives parked, time which can be spent loading batteries by means of solar cells. In this respect, solar cars offer a realisitic glimpse of the future, and the technologies developed here can find applications within years instead of decades.

This year�s new challenge class of the World Solar Challenge is designed to take advantage of these trends. After years of achieving almost exponential growth in speeds and time, the time has come for this technology to be applied in ways that make it more applicable for the consumer market. New this year for the challenge class are regulations requiring a full motor vehicle specification lighting package, a normal seating angle for the driver, and a scaling back of the maximum solar panel area from 8 square meters to 6 square meters. Saftey concerns have also prompted the regulators to require a roll bar in the vehicle, and an exterior body that can handle four times the weight of the vehicle itself.

The following are design areas of great strategic concern:

Solar Cells

The solar cells are by far the most important aspect of a solar vehicle. With more powerful cells, the more able the vehicle is to travel faster and farther.

Lower Weight

As with the car standing in your driveway, the weight of it is a primary contributant to its energy consumption. By applying lower-weight materials and assembly techniques, the vehicle�s weight will be kept under constant scrutiny in order for the vehicle to be as efficient as possible.

Aerodynamics

Drag is the primary contributant to how much energy the vehicle consumes. Through computer generated design tools and wind tunnel tests the new vehicle will be honed to combat the losses that our atmosphere inflicts.

Telemety and Strategic Optimalization

Based upon the sun flux, angle, cloud cover, the prevailing winds and road camber programs will be developed to provide the optimal applied power setting considering the conditions the vehicle is driving in.