JU Solar Team is an exciting project based at Jönköping University, with its facilities located at the School of Engineering (JTH). During the winter of 2024, the new team for JU Solar Team 2025 was introduced. Since then, the team has completed an introductory course and a partial course that took place in the fall. Over this period, the team composition has evolved, with new members joining and others concluding their involvement. Today, we are a team of approximately 25 engineers from various programs at Jönköping University, all united by one shared goal: to compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia and maintain our position as the best solar car team in the Nordics.
Our team is divided into five subgroups: mechanics, body, electrical, marketing, and TPL – test driving, planning, and logistics. This structure has helped us become a strong, cohesive team where every individual’s contribution is crucial to our shared objective. Our successful collaboration and intensive work have prepared us for the challenge ahead in Australia.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Subgroups
To provide a clearer understanding of our work, our team comprises several specialized subgroups.
The Electrical Team is responsible for the entire electrical system of the solar car, including battery management, lighting, and telemetry. They ensure the car's efficiency and maximize energy usage.
The Bodywork Team focuses on the car’s aerodynamics, designing the body to minimize drag (Cda). They handle essential components like the windshield and work to make the car as streamlined as possible.
The Mechanical Team manages all the car's mechanical components, such as the chassis, suspension, and FEM analyses. Their mission is to ensure the car has a solid and reliable core structure.
TPL (Test Driving, Planning, and Logistics) has a wide-ranging responsibility to organize test drives and all logistics for the team. They also coordinate the shipping of the car to Australia and ensure everything is in place, from accommodations to logistics for the competition.
The Marketing Team is dedicated to showcasing JU Solar Team at its best. They handle spreading our message on social media and communicating our work to the public, with the most important role of all in building valuable partnerships with companies.
This is just an overview, but it’s essential to understand that every team member, regardless of role, contributes to building the solar car from scratch to compete in the 3,000 km race from Darwin to Adelaide.
Adapting to New Competition Conditions
A new aspect of this year’s competition is that it has moved from October to August. This presents a greater challenge as the number of sunlight hours during the race is reduced – the sun sets earlier and rises later. To address this change, the solar panel surface has also been expanded from 4 to 6 square meters, giving us a larger area to harness solar energy.
Our Electrical Team is working intensively to simulate and optimize energy input to the car, while the Body and Mechanics Teams collaborate closely to integrate the chassis with the car’s aerodynamic design. The goal is to minimize drag (Cda) and create the most energy-efficient solar car possible.
Structure and Leadership – Key to Success
From day one, we have been clear that a well-functioning structure is essential to success. Each subgroup is led by a team leader, and we hold regular meetings within each subgroup and with all team leaders to ensure clear communication. We also have a team leader who connects the entire team, providing us with a unified direction and opportunities to receive support and feedback to improve our work. Additionally, weekly team meetings are held where the entire team gathers to share progress, challenges, and next steps.
New Marketing Strategy – Toward a Brighter Future
This year, we have also launched a new marketing strategy. As a new team, we aim to establish a strong and clear foundation for JU Solar Team, focusing on sustainability and our participation in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. As part of this new initiative, we have changed our visual identity from purple to yellow. The yellow color symbolizes not only the sun – our primary energy source – but also our connection to JTH (the School of Engineering), where our project is based.
We also want to emphasize that this project is open to all students at Jönköping University, regardless of prior experience. With us, you have the opportunity to develop and grow through hands-on learning.
Onward with JU Solar Team
JU Solar Team 2025 consists of a group driven by dedication, passion, and a strong competitive spirit. We look forward to showcasing what we can achieve with innovation, collaboration, and sustainability as our guiding principles. Our success as the best solar car team in the Nordics would not have been possible without the dedication of each individual and the valuable partnerships we’ve built along the way.
We hope that this year’s team will have the same incredible opportunities. Join us on our journey and see how far we can go together!
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