The fastest solar car in this year’s race was also made in the Netherlands: the TU Delft and the umpteenth version of their solar care Nuna finished the race first. Quite an achievement, but by now we have seen enough of the Delft show (it was their fifth victory in the Solar Challenge). Besides, the term solar car is a little bit  overdone for a moving solar panel with room for merely a driver in a cockpit that looks so small that scratching you ear seems to be a mission impossible.

Stella, the gem of Solar Team Eindhoven, on the other hand accommodates 4 people and a big amount of luggage in the trunk, and thus deserves the title ‘first solar-powered family car’ for sure. Not the incremental innovations which brought Delft the victory in the challenger class, but the radical innovation and revolutionary car which allowed STE to triumph in their class deserve everyone's attention.

What Dick Fosbury did with its spectacular high jump technique, Rinus Michels with his concept of ‘total football’ and Greg Lemond with his aerodynamic helmet and time trial handlebars on his bike, has Solar Team Eindhoven now done in the solar racing sport. Not only did they win, but they changed the game completely and set a new standard for the future.

Stella is the missing link to make driving on solar energy in the future accessible for the consumer market. And that is something we can, no actually we should be very proud of! TU Eindhoven: where REAL innovation starts...