The heads of government didn’t have time for a test ride, however. Stella spokesperson Wouter van Loon admits that would be a bit too dangerous, anyway. “We’ve displayed it on a tilted stage, so you can’t even sit in it, let alone drive it.”

Still, it was more than just a formal visit. “Merkel wanted to know if it was possible to paint the solar panels straight onto a car”, says Van Loon. “Although it’s a technique that’s under development, it’s not yet ready to be implemented. That’s what I explained to her.” He also dealt a teasing blow by mentioning the Solar Challenge final ranking to the Chancellor: Germany came in second place behind the Netherlands.

The fact that care robot AMIGO – the other TU/e favorite – lost against Germany at the German Open robot competition just last weekend, Van Loon decided to leave out of the conversation, wisely.

Van Loon and Merkel talked in English. “The initial idea was to speak Dutch and have an interpreter available, but that just seemed a little silly. Mark Rutte said I had explained myself well, by the way.”

Tomorrow, the international press will be treated to a driving Stella. After that, it will be returned to its stage where it will remain for the rest of the week.

If you are interested in visiting Hannover Messe this Thursday, please take a look here.