MOTORING NEWS - On 10 September, the student-built solar car will leave Sasolburg for an eight-day journey to Cape Town, travelling through the Western Cape and along the West Coast as part of South Africa’s biennial solar-powered motoring challenge.

But getting SunChaser IV to the finish line is about far more than fitting solar panels to a car.

The students have had to solve a range of engineering challenges, from maximising energy efficiency and managing the vehicle’s power systems to reducing aerodynamic drag, ensuring reliability and making sure the prototype can cope with real-world South African road conditions.

From workshop to open road

Predominantly designed and built by TUT students, SunChaser IV has been developed with support from university staff and industry experts.

For the 2026 challenge, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (Manufacturing) is supporting the team with technical expertise, industrial mentorship and logistical resources.

Ford’s high-tech engineers from Silverton will work directly with the students throughout the challenge, providing hands-on advice on vehicle building, tooling, mechanical systems and daily preparations.

The partnership is intended to give young engineers experience of the kind of high-pressure, quality-focused environment they could encounter in the automotive industry.

“It's a direct investment in skills that matter not just for an event like the Sasol Solar Challenge, but for the future of the industry,” says Ford VP of Manufacturing Operations Ockert Berry.

“As the automotive industry adapts to the growing need for more sustainable forms of mobility, and as we see an increasing shift to NEV technologies, these kinds of initiatives only become more and more important.”

Berry says South Africa needs to develop the engineering and technical skills required to remain part of the changing mobility industry.

Learning through the challenge

Johannes de Vries, Solar Car Team Manager at TUT, says the students' determination and resourcefulness have been evident throughout the project.

“Having worked on previous SunChaser models, I believe this group of students has produced something all South Africans can be proud of,” he says.

“Their determination and resourcefulness have been evident through every step of the journey, and it's a reminder of what young talent can achieve when we invest in it.”

The TUT SunChaser programme has already produced internationally recognised results, with previous vehicles picking up awards on the international stage.

Building the 2026 car has required the team to work to similarly high standards, while developing the ability to solve problems under pressure.

For Ford, that makes the project about more than the race itself.

“Beyond those skills, South African grit and determination will be vital for getting this team over the line,” Berry says.

“And this is why we are joining in, to play our part in bringing the industrial mentorship they need but also to use the power of the Blue Oval to get South Africans behind this team and to cheer them over the line, hopefully in first position.”

Technology with applications beyond solar racing

While SunChaser IV is a student-built prototype, the technologies involved are increasingly relevant to mainstream vehicle development.

Lightweight composite construction, advanced battery management and solar auxiliary integration are among the technologies being explored in solar vehicles that also have potential applications in production vehicles.

“It is recognition that the advances made on solar cars today could translate into the vehicles of tomorrow,” Berry says.

“In fact, some production vehicles feature auxiliary solar integration, ultra-efficient lightweight composite framing and advanced battery management systems — technologies that have often been tested and refined in solar racing cars like this one.”

A different kind of race

The Sasol Solar Challenge was first held in 2008 and is now in its ninth edition. The biennial event brings teams from South Africa, Switzerland and India together for the journey from Sasolburg to Cape Town.

It is not simply a race to see which vehicle can travel fastest.

Instead, teams compete to cover the greatest distance over the eight-day challenge, putting vehicle design, manufacturing, energy management and strategy to the test.

Ford will support the TUT team with Ranger PHEVs as chase and support vehicles, a technical team providing on-the-ground mentorship and skills transfer, as well as logistics and transport support throughout the event.

For the students, however, the biggest test may be what happens when SunChaser IV leaves the workshop.

“The SunChaser IV team have built the car and done the prep work. The same is true of their competitors. Now it’s for South Africa to get behind the young people driving its future,” Berry concludes.

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