Nonprofit launched to help learners, students contribute to sustainable mobility

Nonprofit organisation the South African Solar Car Development Foundation (SASCDF) was launched on October 27 to help equip high school learners and tertiary students with the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to build a solar car and contribute towards sustainable transportation.

The foundation was established after schools and tertiary institutions across the country expressed their interests in participating in both the Sasol Solar Challenge and Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge to experiment with different energy and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts.

“Barriers, such as a lack of financial support and necessary skills and knowledge, are some of the biggest challenges faced to start a solar car project and build a fully functioning solar car in order to participate in solar car events,” says SASCDF founder and director and Sasol Solar Challenge and Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge owner and director Robert Walker.

To help upskill and support the prospective solar car teams in designing and building cutting-edge solar cars, the foundation will collaborate with like-minded industry leaders and specialists with extensive experience in the transportation and alternative energy sectors, he adds.

“The wheels of sustainable transportation are slowly turning. This means more diverse STEM and energy innovations are required to contribute towards the future of mobility in the country. We are therefore thrilled to launch the SASCDF, which aims to attract young minds into STEM-related fields and empower them to develop solar car projects,” he says.

“The foundation will link solar car projects to the Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge and the Sasol Solar Challenge. Once a team has acquired all the necessary skills and knowledge and have built a solar car, they will then participate in the Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge to test their solar car on a closed track, and subsequently compete in the Sasol Solar Challenge on the open roads of South Africa,” Walker notes.

Further, the SASCDF will serve as the central resource centre for emerging solar car projects to gain access to funding and resources through donors and partners, including materials to build solar cars as well as knowledge sharing from various field specialists and experienced solar car teams.

“High school learners, some starting a solar car project as early as in Grade 9, are given an opportunity to learn about various STEM and energy concepts and, thereafter, apply that knowledge and skills to build a fully functioning solar car. This will gain them valuable experience that will subsequently open various doors for them in the future when they further their studies at tertiary institutions,” he highlights.

The foundation will focus on hands-on learning of STEM education, with real-world applications. This will teach these young minds critical thinking skills and instil a passion for innovation as they prepare to build their cutting-edge solar cars to participate in the Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge and subsequently move to the Sasol Solar Challenge.

“The aim is not to only develop solar car teams for solar challenges but grow a group of knowledgeable and experienced scientists and engineers who will transform the transportation sector and make it sustainable in the near future.”

Tertiary institutions will be able to apply into the foundation from November in order to get their solar car projects ready for the 2023 Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge, which will take place in July at Red Star Raceway, in Delmas, Mpumalanga. Registrations for high schools will open in March 2023.

Successful applicants will receive mentorship and various materials, which will include basic funding, learning materials and car parts to help start the solar car projects.

All participating applicants submit status reports for their projects to substantiate if their solar car project proves to be on track and viable. The rest of the funding and all other required materials are then allocated accordingly to finalise projects and prepare for testing at the Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge, says Walker.