Nuna8 receives a lot of attention leading up to the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, but what about her drivers? In this blog we’ll focus on our three drivers, who will drive Nuna8 for hours in extreme conditions.
First a quick introduction: our drivers are Joris van den Berg, Toine Urlings and Tim van Leeuwen, all team members. The reason for them being picked as drivers is their physique, all three are relatively short and thin. Their height and the width of their waist have partially determined the dimensions of Nuna, as the driver cabin was modelled around their bodies. A smaller driver thus has its advantages, as a smaller driver allows for a lower frontal area (the area you see when standing right in front of Nuna), reducing air resistance and thus increasing performance. Driver weight is less of an issue, as regulations stipulate drivers need to weight at least 80 kilograms. As all three of our drivers weigh not even close to that, all three will be given ballast to carry with them during the race. Not focussing on weight is a good thing though, as fitness is what is most important to complete the World Solar Challenge as a driver!
To start with the obvious question: What is it like to traverse the 3000km Australian outback in a solar vehicle? Well, very hot. Temperatures in the cockpit exceed 50 degrees Celsius, so there’s plenty of sweat lost. Nuna8 even has a dedicated hole to drain driver sweat! Air-conditioning unfortunately is too heavy and power-consuming, meaning it is even more important to stay well-hydrated. As a precaution, drivers drink around three litres of water during a 3-hour driving stint.
Next to the high temperatures Nuna8 does not exactly perform well in the ‘driving comfort’ category, as Nuna8 has no seat (the drivers literally sit on the vehicle’s floor). “You need to get your bottom of the floor a couple of times to avoid getting cramped up”, Joris explains. The 3000km course from Darwin to Adelaide luckily features nine mandatory control stops, where solar vehicles are to be checked. During these stops drivers are changed too, meaning they drive three consecutive hours on average. How they manage to do so? “It’s all adrenaline”, Toine says. “Three hours is OK but beyond that it starts getting uncomfortable, as you tire physically and run out of adrenaline” Joris adds.
One of our drivers (Tim) has already driven a solar event, the 2014 Sasol Solar Challenge in South-Africa. This event was driven using Nuna7, giving Tim ample experience and input for the design and construction of Nuna8. On top of that Tim can easily compare the handling of Nuna7 and Nuna8. The experience of driving a solar event already is definitively an advantage according to Tim, however the World Solar Challenge is of a different level. Temperatures are higher, competition is stronger and the event is being driven in a new vehicle that hasn’t proven itself yet.
Apart from the challenging conditions, all three drivers are enthusiastic about driving Nuna8. “It is an incredible experience to design, build and drive this vehicle yourself”, Toine tells. After days of testing in both The Netherlands and Australia all three drivers are confident Nuna8 is a safe, reliable and fast solar vehicle. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge will commence on October 18th, from then on we’ll see whether these drivers manage to cross the finish line in Adelaide in first position.