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Thank you for your interest in joining Illini Solar Car!


We will be opening up onboarding again in the Fall! Check illinisolarcar.com/join in August for more information.


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WHO IS ILLINI SOLAR CAR?

Illini Solar Car was founded in 2014 with an ambitious team of about 25 University of Illinois Engineering students. Now, with nearly 100 members, we design, build, and race solar cars at competitions around the world. Our cars are custom designed and manufactured to spec - from the carbon fiber composite outer shells to the circuit boards that make up the electrical system. We have 4 primary subgroups: mechanical, electrical, strategy & telemetry, and business & marketing. No experience is required, and all majors are welcome!

Joining Illini Solar Car is an opportunity like none other at Illinois. You will get unmatched real-world experience working on a hands-on project. The scope of the project is more than you may think. Illini Solar Car is like a small company - there are opportunities for experience and learning in not just engineering design and manufacturing, but also in nonprofit management, business relations, accounting & finance, machine learning, data analytics, content creation and management, and much more. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Don't see your question here? Reach out to us at hello@illinisolarcar.com!

  • Do I need to know things before I join the team?

    Not at all! We'll teach you everything you need to know to work with us - from how solar cells work to basic addition.


  • I'm majoring in ____. Can I still join the team?

    Any and all majors are accepted on our team! We believe that any input can help our team grow. We've had over 20 different majors on this team, including Nuclear Engineering, Materials Engineering, Business, Undecided/Undeclared (DGS), Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Advertising and many more.

  • What kind of time commitment is there?

    We like to say what you put in is what you get out. The more things you work on and the more time you spend with our team, the more you’ll have fun and learn.


  • Do you guys have any dues?

    The only dues we have are for optional team t-shirts!

  • Can I do other clubs along with this one?

    Yes! More than half of our team members are involved in other clubs. Solar Car is however a serious team that will require you to put in effort to benefit.

  • Where is your shop?

    We have our own garage (nicknamed Linview) just north of campus which is directly accessible by a bus route! We also use the OpenLab in ECEB and space in the ESDC (formerly ESPL and MRDC). 


    Meetings will also be held in different campus buildings, such as SCD for Business & Marketing, Engineering Hall for Mechanical, and ECEB for Electrical and Strategy & Telemetry.


  • How many people are on the team?

    Our team is made up of a large group of over 200 students from all around campus. 

  • What is your team doing right now?

    This year we will be focusing on completing manufacturing and testing of our third car, Calypso, in preparation for the 2024 American Solar Challenge. We have also started design work for our fourth car.

  • What happens when it's cloudy?

    Luckily, the thought has crossed our minds! We use a 5kWH lithium ion battery pack so the car can run when the solar array can't meet the power needs of the car.

  • How does it run?

    The solar panels provide energy to the batteries and/or the motors, depending on which one is consuming more power. Usually when we drive, the solar array's energy goes completely to the motors and the batteries supply extra energy. The car has a brushless DC motor that propels it.

  • How far have you driven it?

    Between testing and two long-distance competitions, Argo (our first car) has driven over 5,000 miles.


    Our second car, Brizo, has completed two long-distance competitions and has around 4,000 miles under its belt.

  • Is it street legal?

    Our two cars Argo and Brizo have their own license plates and we are in the process of getting one for Calypso (our third car), too. Soon we will be able to drive Calypso on public roads and highways like any other vehicle - Argo and Brizo can already (and have already) done this!

  • What's the car made of?

    The majority of the car is made of carbon fiber composites. This makes the car extremely lightweight and efficient.

  • What kind of suspension do you have?

    A custom-designed double wishbone suspension.

  • How fast does it go?

    Argo has driven up to 68mph, but it can theoretically go up to around 75mph. Brizo and Calypso have a similar top speed.

  • How much does it weigh?

    Argo weighs 490 lbs, or 224 kg, without a driver. Brizo weighs even less at 423 lbs, or 192 kg. Calypso is even lighter than both of our previous cars.

  • Where do you go with the car?

    In addition to driving our cars locally for events, we bring them to various international competitions across the United States and in Australia. These competitions include the Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP), American Solar Challenge (ASC), and Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC).