ITU ZES Solar Car Team
ITU ZES Solar Car Team is a student research and racing organization at Istanbul Technical University that designs and builds solar-powered and autonomous electric vehicles and competes in international solar car competitions, supported by industry sponsors and faculty advisors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersSariyer
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ITU ZES Solar Car Team does
ITU ZES Solar Car Team is a student racing and research-development organization based at Istanbul Technical University in Maslak, Istanbul. Founded in 2004, the team consists of undergraduate students from eleven different academic branches working on a voluntary basis to design and build solar-powered electric vehicles. The team operates two primary vehicle platforms: ARIBA XE, a competition-focused solar car with a 140 km/h top speed, 170 kg weight, 6.1 kWh battery, and 1.8 kW motor; and ARIBA Autonomous II, an autonomous self-driving variant with a 60 km/h top speed and 2.2 kWh battery. Core technology spans photovoltaic integration, battery management, electric drivetrains, carbon fiber monocoque chassis design, and embedded systems with custom PCB design and software integration.
The organization has produced 12 ARIBA solar cars, secured 24 international competition awards, and contributed 35 academic publications since inception. A registered ARIBA trademark covers the vehicle brand identity. ITU SCT does not sell commercial products or services. Its operating model is sponsorship- and partnership-funded, with revenue derived from industry sponsors contributing financial and material support in exchange for brand visibility and association with innovation. Named core partners include Adastec (autonomous systems), Galata Wind Energy, Gama Energy, Akfen Yenilenebilir Enerji, and host institution Istanbul Technical University. Distribution is event-driven: vehicles are demonstrated and validated through participation in international solar car competitions worldwide rather than through commercial sales channels. Marketing is primarily digital and event-based, using the team website, social media, e-newsletters, press coverage, and competition visibility.
The team serves two primary stakeholder groups: students gaining interdisciplinary hands-on engineering experience, and industry partners accessing emerging engineering talent and innovation branding. There is no commercial revenue, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company. The organization operates as an extracurricular university team rather than a commercial enterprise, with alumni network exceeding 100 graduates who continue to contribute to the team's knowledge base and reputation.
ITU ZES Solar Car Team firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ITU ZES Solar Car Team
- Legal name
- ITU ZES Solar Car Team
- Website
- https://itugae.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ITU ZES Solar Car Team is a student research and racing organization at Istanbul Technical University that designs and builds solar-powered and autonomous electric vehicles and competes in international solar car competitions, supported by industry sponsors and faculty advisors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ITU ZES Solar Car Team industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solar-Powered Electric Vehicles
- NAICS
- Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)
- SIC
- Motors & Generators (3621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Solar Workforce, Training & Safety Services (Installer Training, Certification, EHS) (EUAMABAO)
Keywords
Where ITU ZES Solar Car Team is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sariyer
Offices1 record
Markets served
ITU ZES Solar Car Team business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Materials and Components, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorship and Partnership Funding: The team operates as a student organization supported by industry partners who provide financial and material sponsorship in exchange for brand visibility and association with innovation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
ITU ZES Solar Car Team product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ITU ZES Solar Car Team designs, manufactures, and races solar-powered electric vehicles as a student research and competition team. They build autonomous and high-performance solar cars, including the ARIBA XE (140 km/h, 6.1 kWh battery) and ARIBA Autonomous II, competing in international solar car competitions. Their work spans carbon fiber monocoque construction, embedded systems, battery management, and autonomous driving technology.
Product overview
ITU Solar Car Team (ITU SCT) is a student racing and research-development team from Istanbul Technical University that builds solar-powered electric cars and competes in prestigious competitions worldwide. The team operates two primary solar car platforms: ARIBA XE (the current competition vehicle with 140 km/h top speed, 170 kg weight, 6.1 kWh battery, and 1.8 kW motor power) and ARIBA Autonomous II (an autonomous self-driving solar car variant with 60 km/h top speed, 190 kg weight, and 2.2 kWh battery). The team consists of undergraduate students from eleven different engineering branches, supported by industry partners and ITU faculty. Since 2004, the team has produced 12 ARIBA® solar cars, won 24 awards, published 35 papers, and trained over 100 alumni.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ARIBA: Solar-powered electric car brand developed by ITU Solar Car Team. Current models include ARIBA XE (maximum speed 140 km/h, weight 170 kg, battery 6.1 kWh, motor power 1.8 kW) and ARIBA Autonomous II (maximum speed 60 km/h, weight 190 kg, battery 2.2 kWh).
Products and services
- ARIBA XE The ITU Solar Car Team's current-generation solar-powered electric vehicle competing in international solar car competitions. Features a carbon fiber body optimized for aerodynamic efficiency with integrated solar panels, maximum speed of 140 km/h, weight of 170 kg, 6.1 kWh battery capacity, and 1.8 kW motor power.
- ARIBA Autonomous II Autonomous solar-powered electric vehicle developed by ITU Solar Car Team with self-driving capabilities for autonomous solar car competitions. Designed to operate without human pilot intervention using embedded systems and sensor integration. Maximum speed of 60 km/h, weight of 190 kg, and 2.2 kWh battery capacity.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24 international awards in solar car competitions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ITU ZES Solar Car Team
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ITU ZES Solar Car Team technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
ITU ZES Solar Car Team partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- AdasteccoreTechnology partner providing expertise and support for the team's solar car development and autonomous driving systems.
- Galata Wind Energy (Gala Wind Enerji)coreWind energy company supporting the team's sustainable energy initiatives and solar vehicle technology development.
- Gama EnergycoreEnergy sector partner contributing to the team's research and development activities in renewable energy vehicle technology.
- Akfen Yenilenebilir EnerjicoreRenewable energy company supporting sustainable transportation research through the solar car team partnership.
- Istanbul Technical UniversityflagshipHost university providing academic infrastructure, laboratories, faculty advisors, and institutional support for the student team.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ITU ZES Solar Car Team competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Customer concentration
ITU ZES Solar Car Team social profiles
Digital presenceITU ZES Solar Car Team financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ITU ZES Solar Car Team leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ITU ZES Solar Car Team funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ITU ZES Solar Car Team M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ITU ZES Solar Car Team
What does ITU ZES Solar Car Team do?
ITU ZES Solar Car Team designs, manufactures, and races solar-powered electric vehicles as a student research and competition team. They build autonomous and high-performance solar cars, including the ARIBA XE (140 km/h, 6.1 kWh battery) and ARIBA Autonomous II, competing in international solar car competitions. Their work spans carbon fiber monocoque construction, embedded systems, battery management, and autonomous driving technology.
Is ITU ZES Solar Car Team a public or private company?
ITU ZES Solar Car Team is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ITU ZES Solar Car Team founded?
ITU ZES Solar Car Team was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ITU ZES Solar Car Team based?
ITU ZES Solar Car Team is headquartered in Sariyer.
How does ITU ZES Solar Car Team make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship and Partnership Funding.
Does ITU ZES Solar Car Team have an API?
No public API is recorded for ITU ZES Solar Car Team.
What industry is ITU ZES Solar Car Team in?
ITU ZES Solar Car Team's product category is Solar-Powered Electric Vehicles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAH, Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring), with a secondary code of EUAMABAO, Solar Workforce, Training & Safety Services (Installer Training, Certification, EHS). Its NAICS code is 334515 and its SIC code is 3621.