Enter Stella Terra, the world’s first solar-powered off-road EV that could be the game-changer that addresses this challenge. A road-legal prototype of the Stella Terra recently completed an impressive 1,000 km journey across the challenging terrain of North Africa without recharging solely, relying instead solely on the power of the sun.
Developed by students at the Eindhoven
University of Technology in the Netherlands, it showcases the potential of
smaller and more lightweight batteries, combined with solar technology, in
extending the range and capabilities of electric vehicles, even in rugged
off-road conditions. According to Wisse Bos, Solar Team Eindhoven’s team
manager, the technology featured in Stella Terra, which marries a lightweight
structure with incredibly efficient solar panels, positions it a full decade
ahead of anything you’ll find on the current market.
And the Stella Terra proved to be a
success after driving more than 1,000 km in Africa. Starting on
Morocco’s north coast, the team took the SUV over mountains, and all the way to
the Sahara desert, where their trip ended. Throughout the journey, the SUV
proved to be reliable, with only its steering system breaking along the way (it
was fixed with the help of a local shop).
The street legal SUV has a top speed of 145 km/h, and thanks to its small battery pack, weighs just 1,200 kg, which makes it lighter than a Subaru BRZ. On its trip, the Stella
Terra also proved to be more efficient than they thought. Before the test
drive, they expected the EV to be capable of going just 630 km.
However, on sunny days, it proved to have a range of up to 710 km on the road, and 550 km off the road. Meanwhile, on less sunny
days, the vehicle is capable of driving around 670 km.
The impressive range and self-sufficiency
of the Stella Terra make it ideally suited for remote regions with
underdeveloped roads and unreliable energy grids. Bosman also aspires to see
the concept serve as an inspiration to automakers all around the world.
