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University of Toronto’s Blue Sky Solar Racing Team Visits Litens
Litens Automotive partnered with the University of Toronto’s Blue Sky Solar Racing Team in FY2022 to sponsor their Gen XI vehicle, Borealis for the 2021-2023 season.
The team participated in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia in October this year and recently visited Litens to share their success story and acknowledge the support and guidance we provided.
Litens was delighted to be a part of this project, which supports a more sustainable future for our communities and pushes the limits of technological innovation. We are actively promoting electrification solutions to reduce carbon emissions and foster a greener future. Through innovative technologies and these partnerships, we strive to lead the way in creating a more environmentally conscious and electrified world.
Litens is proud of the students’ hard work and their commitment every year to learn and develop the most efficient electric vehicles possible.
The Blue-Sky team was one of three teams to pass the static scrutineering in one round without the need of re-qualifying before the race. The vehicle, Borealis, successfully travelled 2966km of 3000km in a span of six days, finishing 15th of the 37 teams which participated in the race from across the world.
Here is a link to the documentary created by the students showcasing their racing journey.
The teams in this prestigious endurance challenge are mostly student led and the vehicles are Solar powered, no external charging is allowed for Challenger Class (The racing class that Borealis participated in). The initial starting positions are decided by a Hot Lap where drivers test the limits of their car and try to get the fastest timing possible.
Borealis was one of the four bullet-style 4-wheelers at the event.
Click here to see the highlight reel from the race.
“The partnership we have with Litens has helped the team extensively over the past year, all the way to the finish line of our 3000 km race in Australia at the 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. During the assembly and manufacturing of our 11th Generation solar-powered vehicle, Litens was invaluable in machining the complex geometries of our uprights, LCA, trailing arm, motor arm, motor flower/mount, and clevises. The mechanical systems of the car proved very reliable throughout the race, and we plan to further optimize these systems to reduce our total race time in the next vehicle. Litens has also provided assistance in developing our in-house Battery Management System (BMS). Their insightful design reviews significantly enhanced the system’s reliability, ensuring seamless monitoring of our battery pack throughout the race. The team at Litens has been exceptionally kind, and we’re really thankful for their interest in our project and support and look forward to working with them in the future.” – Niki Manickam, Gen XI, Project Manager.
