Principia Solar Car

Second Half of Spring Semester

prinsolar — Sat, 05 May 2012 21:04:41 +0000

Hello Supporters! Thank you to all of the Principia parents who joined us for our slideshow during Parent’s Weekend. We had tons of fun sharing our 2011 World Solar Challenge experience with everyone. Only three weeks after spring break and there has been significant progress on the steering, Battery Protection System, third taillight, and general …

Spring Break

prinsolar — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:52:16 +0000

Hello Everyone! We are five days into Spring Break and we have already driven over 50 miles around campus! For the beginning of the week, the newest members of the team learned various skills and race procedures. On Monday we had Brian Ritter driving around Crafton Athletic Center while we tested our battery pack and …

The Beginning of Spring Semester

prinsolar — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:12:37 +0000

Hello Followers! Over the past few weeks, Principia Solar Car team veterans have been using our class and shop time to teach the newest members of the team. We have been spending Monday class time debriefing the team on the plans for the week and giving presentations to educate everyone on key parts of the …

Winter Break and a New Semester

prinsolar — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:44:33 +0000

Hello all! Hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season. Just two days after Christmas, the solar car team received a very large package in the mail! Local team members helped to unpack the crate, moved supplies into the shop, and safely unpacked Ra 7s. There was slight damage to the lower body of Ra 7s …

End of Fall

prinsolar — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:38:36 +0000

Dear Friends, The solar car team finished the semester strong going into winter break. The student team leaders wrote and presented a proposal to Dr. Palmer, Principia College’s president, asking for Principia’s support in reaching our goal of participating in the American Solar Challenge this coming summer. The meeting went over well and the team …

WSC 2011 Wrap-Up

prinsolar — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:19:13 +0000

G’day! Sunday was our last complete day in Adelaide and what a fulfilling day it was! The team attended a Sunday service at 1st Church of Christ, Scientist, Adelaide. The members were so welcoming! Following the service, they graciously invited us to join them in a reception. We were able to meet and share our …

Crossing the Finish Line!

prinsolar — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:17:07 +0000

G’day! We have crossed the finish line in Adelaide! Yesterday morning, we made our way to the parade grounds near Victoria Square where we unloaded our car and prepared to drive the last few kilometers to the finish. Justin hopped into the car while the rest of the team loaded into a shuttle bus WSC …

Day 6

prinsolar — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:06:59 +0000

G’day fellow supporters! The last two days have been very wonderful out here in the Outback. Today was our second day of trailering from Coober Pedy all the way to Adelaide via Port Augusta. We have covered several more hundred kilometers and continue to see other teams along the drive. The atmostphere has been very …

A Different Perspective

prinsolar — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:56:59 +0000

G’day, Day 4 in the Outback ended up being a bit more challenging than the last couple of days. We left Tennant Creek in due time at our 8:22am start and blasted out of town. As we had a lot of built up energy due to our extra charging time in the sunlight from the …

Race Day 3

prinsolar — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:26:55 +0000

G’day! After a pleasant overnight stop just south of Elliot with Team Bochum, we pulled out of our campsite just after 8am. This morning, the electrical team switched out 2 of our 26 modules from our battery pack in an effort to balance the pack out a bit more. By the end of today, the …