And the Dutch Brunel Solar Team is the champion of the 2025 World Solar Challenge! They won the grueling 3,000-kilometer journey through the Australian outback in a record five days. This incredible accomplishment is a historic turning point for their team. They emerged victorious after tough competition from 34 more teams from 18 countries around the world. The event commenced Sunday morning from Darwin’s Parliament House and concluded with Brunel finishing just minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, Twente, another Dutch team, and Belgium’s Innoptus.
Our team member Martijn Boonen could hardly believe and contain his happiness that they won. “Unbelievable, I’m lost for words,” he said just minutes after his first-ever finish line. This victory was the result of extensive preparation and creative design that the team executed within their solar-powered machine.
Innovative Design and Strategy
Brunel Solar Team put a lot of thought into designing a vehicle that would be as efficient as it would be robust. Their feted design featured specialized oblique patterning fins patented by them, which serve to drastically improve aerodynamic performance. Annafloor D’Accona explained, “Our fins can actually catch side winds and push it forward, just like an airplane wing.” This new technology made it possible for the car to stay smooth and fast over very rough terrain.
To make sure they were performing as well as possible, the team introduced a second fin to their vehicle. This change played a major role in speed increasing, allowing them to power through the tricky landscape of outback terrain. During the race, Brunel’s strategy was to adjust their plan every ten minutes based on the effectiveness of their energy usage. “The race is more like a marathon than a sprint,” said Adam Palkovics, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an energy-efficient cruising speed.
Overcoming Challenges
The stakes were high, as many teams went all-out in a fierce, cutthroat competition for evacuation supremacy. It was Brunel Solar Team’s desire to evaluate experiences in the past that served them well. Palkovics noted, “We’ve learned to do more with less, especially in ‘David versus Goliath’ situations. Our past success has come from building a car that doesn’t break down, and we’ve used those lessons to optimize our new design.”
After making the journey of thousands of kilometres from the Netherlands to Australia, D’Accona explained the importance of their win. The team had to work harder than ever to innovate on their designs from the prior year, keeping them on the cutting edge and competitive. The focused training and intentional preparation was immediately evident as they pulled ahead of some of the fastest competitors in the pack.
A Historic Competition
Like the great World Solar Challenge before it, this year’s was unforgettable. For the first time ever, it was held during an Australian winter! Race conditions had been affected. Chris Selwood commented that it was the unique timing of the event that had made this so special. He pointed out that many innovations that came through previous competitions are now being adopted into production vehicles. This major shift represents the latest chapter in how solar technology continues to evolve and improve.
In addition to demonstrating their technical achievements, Brunel Solar Team’s victory is a testament to the future of sustainable transportation solutions. From that first day, they set their sights on winning. Today, they are known as leaders in the design and performance of solar vehicles.
