Stanford Solar Car Project
The Stanford Solar Car Project is a student-run, non-profit organization at Stanford University, founded in 1986, that designs and races solar-powered vehicles in international competitions. It serves matriculated Stanford students seeking hands-on engineering experience and is funded entirely by corporate sponsorships and institutional support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersStanford, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Stanford Solar Car Project does
The Stanford Solar Car Project is a student-run, non-profit organization founded in 1986 at Stanford University that designs, builds, and races solar-powered electric vehicles in international competitions. The project operates as an extracurricular engineering program under the Stanford School of Engineering, hosted at CHIP (Stanford's student project center), and serves currently matriculated Stanford students seeking hands-on engineering and business experience. Its work centers on full-stack solar vehicle engineering, including carbon fiber composite monocoque chassis construction, lithium-ion and lithium-polymer battery systems, photovoltaic solar arrays, aerodynamics, and custom electric motor systems (notably a 98% efficient motor featured in the Xenith vehicle). Over its 40+ year history, the team has designed and built more than a dozen unique vehicles, from SunSurfer (1990) to Azimuth (2024-2025), competing in events including the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, Formula Sun Grand Prix, American Solar Challenge, and Sunrayce.
The organization does not sell products or services. Its sole revenue stream is sponsorship, comprising financial contributions and in-kind technology donations from a tiered ecosystem of 25+ corporate sponsors (Premier through Bronze tiers) including Autodesk, Siemens, Amprius, Corning, Tektronix, and 3M, alongside institutional support from Stanford ASSU, Stanford CARS, and the Stanford School of Engineering. Distribution is non-commercial: vehicles are 'distributed' exclusively through participation in prestigious racing competitions. Notable engineering innovations include a three-wheel steering system pioneered in Xenith (2011), flexible glass encapsulation developed with Corning for SunPower solar cells, and custom race strategy software that models sunlight and shadows in real time. Competitive results include 4th overall at the 2013 World Solar Challenge (best North American team), Stock Class win at the 2005 North American Solar Challenge, and 2nd place at the 2025 Formula Sun Grand Prix with Azimuth.
Stanford Solar Car Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stanford Solar Car Project
- Legal name
- Stanford Solar Car Project
- Website
- https://solarcar.stanford.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Stanford Solar Car Project is a student-run, non-profit organization at Stanford University, founded in 1986, that designs and races solar-powered vehicles in international competitions. It serves matriculated Stanford students seeking hands-on engineering experience and is funded entirely by corporate sponsorships and institutional support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stanford Solar Car Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solar Vehicle Engineering
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Motors & Generators (3621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Concentrated Solar & Solar Fuels R&D (CSP Innovations, Thermochemical, Solar-to-Hydrogen) (EUAMAOAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH)
Keywords
Where Stanford Solar Car Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stanford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Stanford Solar Car Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate and institutional sponsors provide funding and in-kind support (technology, components, manufacturing services) to fund the design, building, and racing of solar vehicles. The project is a non-profit organization dependent entirely on sponsorships.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Stanford Solar Car Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Stanford Solar Car Project designs, builds, and races solar-powered electric vehicles for international competitions. The organization produces custom solar cars approximately every two years, integrating advanced engineering across aerodynamics, battery systems, photovoltaic arrays, and lightweight composite chassis construction. The vehicles are entered in events such as the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and Formula Sun Grand Prix, with the project serving as a hands-on engineering and educational platform for Stanford University students.
Product overview
The Stanford Solar Car Project is an entirely student-run, non-profit organization that designs, builds, and races solar-powered vehicles. The project produces a series of increasingly advanced solar cars (SunSurfer, Sunburner, Afterburner, Third Degree Burner, Back2Back Burner, Solstice, Apogee, Xenith, Luminos, Arctan, Sundae, Black Mamba, and Azimuth) for competition in events like the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, American Solar Challenge, and Formula Sun Grand Prix. Each vehicle represents a progression in engineering innovation, from the team's first car in 1990 to their latest Azimuth vehicle in 2024-2025, incorporating advancements in aerodynamics, battery technology, solar cell efficiency, and safety systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Azimuth Stanford's latest solar car (2024-2025), incorporating lessons from Black Mamba with enhanced safety systems, improved aerodynamics, and cutting-edge solar technology. Secured 2nd place in Formula Sun Grand Prix (SOV Class) in 2025.
- Black Mamba Stanford's fourteenth solar car (2019), featuring the first asymmetric 'bullet' design representing a bold leap in aerodynamics and packaging. Its development laid groundwork for current safety standards and design philosophy.
- Sundae Solar car from 2017 featuring improved aerodynamics and enhanced battery management systems, showcasing the team's ability to adapt to evolving race regulations.
- Arctan Solar car from 2015 with a sleeker, more aerodynamically aggressive design. Extensive testing helped the team close the gap to leaders by 50% compared to 2013.
- Luminos Stanford's eleventh solar car (2013), achieving the team's best result at 4th place in Challenger Class and top finish by an undergraduate team at World Solar Challenge. Lightweight with over 10,000 safe miles logged.
- Xenith Stanford's tenth solar car (2011), weighing just 375 pounds with three-wheel steering, 4-inch-thin carbon composite chassis, and 98% efficient custom motor. Pioneered flexible glass encapsulation for SunPower solar cells.
- Apogee Solar car from 2009 built from carbon fiber with monocoque body, featuring 6 m² solar array and lithium-ion batteries. One of Stanford's most reliable cars, achieving top-ten class finish in World Solar Challenge.
- Solstice Solar car from 2005 that won the Stock Class in a 2,500-mile race from Texas to Canada, showcasing engineering excellence in the North American Solar Challenge.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4th Overall at World Solar Challenge 2013 - Best result and North America's No. 1 team
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Stanford Solar Car Project
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Stanford Solar Car Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Stanford Solar Car Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered premier, diamond, platinum, gold, silver, bronze and core.
- FictivpremierPremier sponsor providing cloud-based manufacturing and rapid prototyping technology services
- AutodeskdiamondDiamond tier sponsor providing CAD software and design tools for vehicle engineering
- TektronixdiamondDiamond tier sponsor providing electronic testing and measurement equipment
- AltiumdiamondDiamond tier sponsor providing PCB design software for electrical systems
- SiemensplatinumPlatinum tier sponsor providing engineering software and simulation tools
- Admiral InstrumentsplatinumPlatinum tier sponsor providing electronic instruments and power supplies
- AmpriusplatinumPlatinum tier sponsor providing advanced battery technology and cells
- PointwisegoldGold tier sponsor providing mesh generation software for computational fluid dynamics
- Sierra CircuitsgoldGold tier sponsor providing PCB manufacturing services
- AirtechgoldGold tier sponsor providing composite materials and tooling for carbon fiber manufacturing
- Uniformity LabsgoldGold tier sponsor providing metal powder and additive manufacturing solutions
- HakkogoldGold tier sponsor providing soldering equipment and tools
- 3MsilverSilver tier sponsor providing materials science products and adhesives
- DigiKeysilverSilver tier sponsor providing electronic components and distribution services
- EvoniksilverSilver tier sponsor providing specialty chemicals and advanced materials
- FibroTeksilverSilver tier sponsor providing composite materials for vehicle construction
- IAR SystemssilverSilver tier sponsor providing embedded development tools and compilers
- OpenBuildsbronzeBronze tier sponsor providing open-source building tools and components
- ProSetbronzeBronze tier sponsor providing precision assembly tools
- SikabronzeBronze tier sponsor providing adhesives and sealants for vehicle assembly
- CorningcoreProvided prototype flexible glass for solar cell encapsulation in Xenith (2011), enabling pioneering flexible glass technology for solar vehicles
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Stanford Solar Car Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- University of Michigan Solar Car Team: One of the most successful and longest-running U.S. university solar car teams, competing in the same World Solar Challenge and Formula Sun Grand Prix events with a similar student-run, sponsorship-funded model.
- CalSol (UC Berkeley): UC Berkeley's student solar car project, a domestic West Coast peer that competes in Formula Sun Grand Prix and American Solar Challenge with a similar university-club model.
- University of Waterloo Midnight Sun: A Canadian university solar car team participating in the same North American Solar Challenge and World Solar Challenge circuits with comparable student-built, sponsor-funded vehicles.
- Georgia Tech Solar Racing: Georgia Tech's student solar car team, which builds and races solar vehicles in the Formula Sun Grand Prix and American Solar Challenge, sharing the same engineering-competition ethos.
- ETH Zurich: ETH Zurich's academic solar mobility projects, including the aCentauri solar race car, compete in the same international solar car events and share the student-driven engineering ethos.
- TuDelft Solar Team (Delft University of Technology): A perennial World Solar Challenge frontrunner; a Dutch university team that competes in the same Bridgestone World Solar Challenge with high-financed, professional-grade solar vehicles.
- MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team: A student-run engineering team at MIT that designs and builds solar vehicles for the same competition circuit, with a comparable talent profile and corporate sponsorship structure.
- Princeton Solar Racing: A Princeton University student engineering team that designs and races solar vehicles in Formula Sun Grand Prix, sharing the academic-club structure and competition focus.
- Virginia Tech Solar Car Team: A long-running U.S. university solar car team that has competed in multiple World Solar Challenge and American Solar Challenge events with a similar student-driven, sponsor-supported model.
Emerging players
- Aptera Motors: A solar-integrated consumer electric vehicle company that shares the solar-vehicle technology domain with Stanford's project; a commercial counterpart to the academic solar car movement.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Stanford Solar Car Project social profiles
Digital presenceStanford Solar Car Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stanford Solar Car Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Stanford Solar Car Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stanford Solar Car Project 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 Stanford Solar Car Project
What does Stanford Solar Car Project do?
The Stanford Solar Car Project designs, builds, and races solar-powered electric vehicles for international competitions. The organization produces custom solar cars approximately every two years, integrating advanced engineering across aerodynamics, battery systems, photovoltaic arrays, and lightweight composite chassis construction. The vehicles are entered in events such as the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and Formula Sun Grand Prix, with the project serving as a hands-on engineering and educational platform for Stanford University students.
Is Stanford Solar Car Project a public or private company?
Stanford Solar Car Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Stanford Solar Car Project founded?
Stanford Solar Car Project was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Stanford Solar Car Project based?
Stanford Solar Car Project is headquartered in Stanford, United States, in the North America region.
How does Stanford Solar Car Project make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship Revenue.
Who are Stanford Solar Car Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are University of Michigan Solar Car Team, CalSol (UC Berkeley), University of Waterloo Midnight Sun, Georgia Tech Solar Racing, ETH Zurich, TuDelft Solar Team (Delft University of Technology), MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team, Princeton Solar Racing and Virginia Tech Solar Car Team. Aptera Motors is listed as an emerging player.
Does Stanford Solar Car Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stanford Solar Car Project.
What industry is Stanford Solar Car Project in?
Stanford Solar Car Project's product category is Solar Vehicle Engineering. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAOAE, Concentrated Solar & Solar Fuels R&D (CSP Innovations, Thermochemical, Solar-to-Hydrogen), with a secondary code of EUAMABAH, Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring). Its NAICS code is 33632 and its SIC code is 3600.