University of Calgary Solar Car Team
The University of Calgary Solar Car Team is a 50+ student engineering organization that designs, builds, and races solar-powered electric vehicles in North American competitions. Funded entirely through tiered corporate sponsorships and donations, it develops renewable energy technology as a hands-on educational platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What University of Calgary Solar Car Team does
The University of Calgary Solar Car Team is a student-run engineering organization established in 2004 that designs, builds, and races solar-powered electric vehicles in North American competitions such as the American Solar Challenge. The team is composed of 50+ undergraduate students from Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, and Software Engineering, as well as Business, Finance, and Commerce departments, working alongside University of Calgary faculty. Its lead vehicle, the Schulich Elysia — a catamaran-style solar cruise car designed starting in 2016 and completed in 2019 — features an integrated battery cooling system and a solar panel array optimized for long-distance racing, and took first place in the Multi Occupant Vehicle Class at the 2019 American Solar Challenge.
University of Calgary Solar Car Team firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of Calgary Solar Car Team
- Legal name
- University of Calgary Solar Car Team
- Website
- https://calgarysolarcar.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The University of Calgary Solar Car Team is a 50+ student engineering organization that designs, builds, and races solar-powered electric vehicles in North American competitions. Funded entirely through tiered corporate sponsorships and donations, it develops renewable energy technology as a hands-on educational platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of Calgary Solar Car Team industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solar Racing Vehicles
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (336320), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Motors & Generators (3621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar Workforce, Training & Safety Services (Installer Training, Certification, EHS) (EUAMABAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH)
Keywords
Where University of Calgary Solar Car Team is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
University of Calgary Solar Car Team business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors provide financial support at various tiers (Lead, Gold, Silver, Bronze) in exchange for brand visibility and association with the solar car team.
- Donations: Individual and organizational donations from supporters of renewable energy education and innovation.
- In-kind Donations: Companies provide products, services, and resources (software tools, components, manufacturing support) in lieu of cash sponsorship.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
University of Calgary Solar Car Team product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The University of Calgary Solar Car Team designs, builds, and races solar-powered vehicles as an educational engineering program. The team's flagship product is the Schulich Elysia, a catamaran-style solar cruise car developed by students and completed in 2019, which won first place in the Multi Occupant Vehicle Class at the 2019 American Solar Challenge. The team is currently developing its sixth-generation solar car and uses racing and community demonstrations to promote renewable energy awareness.
Product overview
University of Calgary Solar Car Team is a student-led initiative that designs and builds solar-powered vehicles for racing competitions. The team develops solar cars as both engineering projects and educational tools to promote renewable energy awareness. Their primary product is the Schulich Elysia, a catamaran-style solar car completed in 2019 that achieved first place in the 2019 American Solar Challenge Multi Occupant Vehicle Class. The team is currently developing their sixth vehicle and has completed seven races with previous cars.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Schulich Elysia A catamaran-style solar-powered cruise car designed and built by University of Calgary students to improve battery cooling and increase aerodynamics. Used to compete in the American Solar Challenge and to demonstrate renewable energy technology.
Quantifiable outcome
- First place finish in the 2019 American Solar Challenge Multi Occupant Vehicle Class
Companies that use University of Calgary Solar Car Team
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
University of Calgary Solar Car Team technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
University of Calgary Solar Car Team partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
University of Calgary Solar Car Team competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ETH Zurich Solar Car Team: Swiss university solar car team competing in the World Solar Challenge and other international events. Comparable as a student-led solar vehicle engineering and racing organization with multi-tier corporate sponsorship.
- Stanford Solar Car Project: Student-run team designing and racing solar vehicles for the American Solar Challenge and World Solar Challenge. Comparable as a university engineering project-based solar car organization with multi-tier corporate sponsorship.
- University of Texas Solar Cars Team: University of Texas at Austin's student solar car racing team competing in the Formula Sun Grand Prix and American Solar Challenge. Comparable in university-affiliated structure and competition focus.
- Northwestern University Solar Car Team: Northwestern's student-run solar car team designing and racing solar vehicles for the Formula Sun Grand Prix and American Solar Challenge. Directly comparable to Calgary's team in mission, structure, and competition participation.
- University of Michigan Solar Car Team: Long-running university solar car team that designs, builds, and races solar-powered vehicles in the American Solar Challenge and World Solar Challenge. Directly comparable in mission, structure, competition focus, and corporate sponsorship model to the University of Calgary Solar Car Team.
- Virginia Tech Solar Car Team: Student engineering team at Virginia Tech that designs and builds solar-powered race vehicles for intercollegiate solar car competitions. Comparable in structure, mission, and competition participation to Calgary's team.
- MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team: MIT's student solar vehicle team that designs, builds, and races solar-powered cars in intercollegiate competitions. Comparable in mission, cross-disciplinary structure, and sponsorship-driven funding model.
- University of Waterloo Midnight Sun Solar Car Team: Canadian university solar car racing team that competes in the American Solar Challenge and Formula Sun Grand Prix. Closely comparable to Calgary's team in geography, university-affiliated structure, scale, and competition cadence.
- UC Berkeley Solar Car (Cal Solar): University of California Berkeley's student-run solar car team that builds and races solar vehicles in the American Solar Challenge. Comparable as a university-based solar vehicle design and racing organization.
- University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project: University of Minnesota's long-running student solar car project that designs and races solar vehicles in the American Solar Challenge and Formula Sun Grand Prix. Directly comparable as a university-affiliated solar racing organization.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
University of Calgary Solar Car Team social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of Calgary Solar Car Team financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of Calgary Solar Car Team leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
University of Calgary Solar Car Team funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University of Calgary Solar Car Team M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about University of Calgary Solar Car Team
What does University of Calgary Solar Car Team do?
The University of Calgary Solar Car Team designs, builds, and races solar-powered vehicles as an educational engineering program. The team's flagship product is the Schulich Elysia, a catamaran-style solar cruise car developed by students and completed in 2019, which won first place in the Multi Occupant Vehicle Class at the 2019 American Solar Challenge. The team is currently developing its sixth-generation solar car and uses racing and community demonstrations to promote renewable energy awareness.
Is University of Calgary Solar Car Team a public or private company?
University of Calgary Solar Car Team is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was University of Calgary Solar Car Team founded?
University of Calgary Solar Car Team was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is University of Calgary Solar Car Team based?
University of Calgary Solar Car Team is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does University of Calgary Solar Car Team make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Sponsorship is the primary driver. The others are donations and in-kind Donations.
Who are University of Calgary Solar Car Team's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ETH Zurich Solar Car Team, Stanford Solar Car Project, University of Texas Solar Cars Team, Northwestern University Solar Car Team, University of Michigan Solar Car Team, Virginia Tech Solar Car Team, MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team, University of Waterloo Midnight Sun Solar Car Team, UC Berkeley Solar Car (Cal Solar) and University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project.
Does University of Calgary Solar Car Team have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of Calgary Solar Car Team.
What industry is University of Calgary Solar Car Team in?
University of Calgary Solar Car Team's product category is Solar Racing Vehicles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAO, Solar Workforce, Training & Safety Services (Installer Training, Certification, EHS), with a secondary code of EUAMABAH, Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring). Its NAICS code is 336320 and its SIC code is 3600.