Halmstad University Solar Team – Racing 3000 Kilometres Powered by Solar Energy
Halmstad University Solar Team
The team behind the solar car Sven, which will compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2023.
Are you a student at Halmstad University looking for exciting opportunities? Look no further than the Halmstad University Solar Team (HUST), a dynamic group of approximately thirty students dedicated to building a solar-powered car to compete in the world’s premier solar car racing event—the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge: A 3000-km Odyssey
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, held every two years, spans a 3000-km challenging journey from Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south. In this prestigious competition, Halmstad’s team competes with students from 35 nations worldwide to design, construct and manufacture the most efficient solar-powered vehicle, with hopes of crossing the finish line first.
A Journey of Evolution at Halmstad University
Halmstad University’s involvement in this remarkable venture dates back to 2019 when the project started within the concept of FabLab Halmstad and a group of students from the Product Development and Innovation Engineering program took up the challenge. Today, the project has opened its doors to students from all programs at the university.
Alexander Hall
Fabl Lab at Halmstad University
A Continuous Cycle of Innovation
After each race, the entire team regenerates from scratch. This involves securing sponsorships, crafting a new design, establishing the construction process, and executing the physical build. The two-year cycle is both exhilarating and demanding.
Two Years of Preparation and Counting
The preparations and development for this year’s participation have been ongoing for two years. The primary challenge lies in creating a lightweight, aerodynamic, yet robust vehicle, all while adhering to sustainable principles. Moreover, the team must navigate a comprehensive 70-page safety protocol.
Halmstad University Solar Team
The preparations and development have been ongoing for two years.
Powering Forward with Solar Energy
The vehicle is exclusively solar-powered and is subject to strict regulations regarding the maximum power output from its solar panels. Simultaneously, there are numerous safety and sustainability requirements that must be met to qualify for participation.
Beyond Technical Challenges – Strategy in Play
The competition isn’t just a technical test; it also assesses the teams’ strategic abilities in managing energy consumption, weather conditions, and terrain. Participants must strike a balance between driving fast enough to avoid time loss and conserving energy to prevent battery depletion.
Halmstad University Solar Team
The car is 5 meters long and 1.35 meters wide
The Road Ahead
Seventeen team members will be present in Australia, including six drivers. The team heads to Australia with ambitious goals and a well-defined strategy.
We are filled with anticipation, and with just one month to go, our excitement is mounting. We have high aspirations but are also acutely aware of the challenges we may encounter on-site, which we must adapt to.
In conclusion, Halmstad University’s Solar Team is not only making strides in sustainable transportation but is also a testament to the institution’s commitment to experiential learning and innovation. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge serves as a thrilling platform for students to apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges and push the boundaries of solar-powered technology.
E-bikes for the love of cycling.
Alexander Hall
Johanna Smedberg, Head of Marketing and Business Development, Cycleurope Sverige AB.
The e-bike turned out to be a gamechanger. Many people have replaced the car as a means of transport and now pedal their way on an e-bike. This has led to more people becoming active, and so their health has improved. This is the goal of Cycleurope: to provide added value and be part of the solution to societal challenges in the areas of health and the environment.
Halland is made for cycling. The province was a pioneer in the development of national cycle routes, which in turn has created many new jobs. One of these routes is Kattegattleden. Stretching from Helsingborg in the south of Sweden to Gothenburg on the west coast, it is a coastal route of 390 kilometres, running through the beautiful Halland countryside.
The e-bike is a gamechanger
It was also in Varberg in the same province that the Monark bicycle brand was launched over 100 years ago. Today it is part of Cycleurope Sweden, which in turn is part of one of Europe’s leading bicycle groups, Cycleurope AB, with worldwide distribution and sales.
“The spotlight is on the e-bike – it’s a gamechanger all over Europe,” says Johanna Smedberg, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Cycleurope Sweden.
“We want to solve the puzzle of daily transport and be experts at that kind of bike. It’s made motorists ditch their cars and replace them with e-bikes. This has given the e-bike a very important role,” she says.
Close to customers in Varberg
Since being founded by the Grimaldi family in the mid-1990s, Cycleurope has grown organically and through the acquisition of strong, well-established local bicycle brands. Its Swedish headquarters are in Varberg and they are a centre of excellence for the Nordic operation.
We work from a Nordic perspective in Varberg, meaning that we develop, design and produce our bikes for the entire Nordic market here.
The advantage of being very close to the consumer is that there is basically a retailer in every town. This means that bike owners have both workshops and service close by. For many people, cycling is their only means of transport.
“When you make a journey like the one we’ve made, from a mechanical product to an electrical and technical one, new requirements emerge within the company. For example, software is crucial in an e-bike. This has meant that we’re in need of new skill sets.”
E-bikes needs software experts
Cycleurope has attracted a new type of employee, who also sees the quality of life in living in an area where the pace is completely different from that of a big city – where you can take your bike to work, all year round.
“When it comes to new skills in software and electronics, people who have such skills may not primarily be considering the bicycle industry as an option. But the industry has come a long way in recent years, and many people may not realise that these kinds of jobs actually exist,” says Johanna Smedberg.
“We would like to break into these areas, because today’s bicycle industry is not what it was five years ago.”
Alex Hall
Cycleurope develop, design and produce bicycles for the entire Nordic market.
More than just bikes
For Cycleurope, bicycle ownership is also about the added value that a bike can bring. It is important to be relevant to cyclists and understand them in a wider perspective. This includes everything from bike maintenance and accessories to educating and seeing the bike as part of the solution to societal challenges in the areas of both health and the environment.
“We put a lot of resources into understanding and taking responsibility for these issues. For us, our mission is bigger than developing and building bikes that become a crucial part of our daily lives. We are committed to health issues and want to inspire young people to cycle more. This includes our involvement in the launch of the Skolklassikern multi-sport contest, which aims to get children moving to a greater extent. Around 30,000 children throughout Sweden take part in the contest every year.
Facts about Cycleurope:
- Cycleurope bicycle group started to take shape in the mid-90s with the acquisition of a majority stake in Monark Stiga.
- Cycleurope has distribution and sales in more than 50 countries around the world and is the market leader in electric bicycles (e-bikes) in Sweden
- At its Nordic Centre of Excellence in Varberg, Cycleurope develops quality bicycles and bicycle accessories for the Nordic market under the Crescent, Monark, Sjösala, DBS, Spectra and TEC brands.
- 100,000 bicycles and e-bikes are built in the Varberg factory annually
- Cycleurope has net sales of SEK 650 million and approximately 150 employees.
- Cycleurope chairs Cycling Industries Europe, the voice of the cycling industry that actively promotes the sector in Europe and worldwide.
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