Hardest #solar powered race under the sun
Covestro Adelie at World Solar Challenge #PushingBoundaries
These days, I’m extremely proud. Our @Team Sonnenwagen has taken the hardest challenge in solar powered racing. The students team with the “Covestro Adelie” solar car hit the road at the #World Solar Challenge. 3000 kilometers through the Australian continent in six days, without a drop of gasoline, fueled solely by the power of the sun.
The achievement of the solar car “Covestro Adelie" is a great success for the team of students from @RWTH Aachen University and @Aachen University of Applied Sciences. It is also an absolute highlight for us as the team's long-standing sponsor and #innovation partner.
For me, Team Sonnenwagen had already won even before the race! Team Sonnenwagen had captured the hearts and minds and the collective enthusiasm of all @Covestro employees around the globe. The team grabbed its rightful first place in qualifying and set its sights on victory from the start from pole position. The Covestro team was integral in its support. Yes, support to the students via innovative material developments but also fully involved throughout the race. And the Aachen-based team did its part: With their efficient car design and sophisticated driving performance, they led from the very front in performance, in design and in resilience, guts and stamina.
#Mobility has become something we all take for granted. We move from a to b to c every day, usually without being aware of the technological means we are using. And we are often insensitive to the extent of how much has already changed in mobility and in our responsibility for the careful use of energy and resources.
Today, city buses drive electrically or with hybrid drives. Fully automated vehicles are already part of everyday traffic in the U.S., and partially automated vehicles are being used in Europe as well. AI and sensor technology allow vehicles to connect with each other and exchange information.
Challenge the #status quo
At Covestro, we want to play our part in this #transformation and in shaping the mobility of tomorrow. For example, we develop specialty plastics that protect sensitive parts of automobiles from stress, make driving safer and significantly reduce the weight of vehicles. After all, new technologies are accompanied by new demands on materials. But what do these everyday examples have to do with the great performance of Team Sonnenwagen?
Quite simply, just as "Covestro Adelie" is powered by solar energy, I believe that enthusiasm can be an equally great driver to always challenge the status quo anew. Enthusiasm for what is already possible and what we can make possible by joining forces, dedication, and skill. This enthusiasm can inspire the bright minds of tomorrow. It motivates us to courageously tackle the many miles and challenges that lie ahead.
Congratulations again to the students from RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen! We at Covestro are thrilled by your achievement and hope that the energy of your enthusiasm never leaves you.