Covestro extends cooperation with Team Sonnenwagen Aachen

In line with its commitment to sustainable future mobility, Covestro is extending its sponsorship of Team Sonnenwagen Aachen until 2023. This includes funding for two new solar cars from the team of students from RWTH Aachen University and Aachen University of Applied Sciences for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, arguably the toughest solar car race in the world. This year, the race has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that couldn't put a damper on the enthusiasm of the young designers: they developed the solar race car "Covestro Photon" for this year’s races as well, which has now been virtually presented to the public and is set to take part in various races in the Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) region, among them the Solar Challenge Morocco 2021.

"I am fascinated by the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit with which the students are developing and optimizing new ideas for solar cars," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. "That’s why we’re sponsoring this project: with our commitment to sustainable future mobility and building a Circular Economy, we want to encourage young people from top universities to use their talents to work with us to develop advanced materials and technologies."

"After two years of hard work, we finally reveal our new Sonnenwagen," says Simon Quinker, vice chairman of Team Sonnenwagen Aachen. "By using innovative technologies, the Covestro Photon is the most efficient Sonnenwagen. We are looking forward to the cooperation with Covestro and together we are taking a further step towards sustainable mobility."

Becoming fully circular

Global challenges such as climate change and increasing resource consumption require new concepts for future mobility. Covestro has been developing material solutions for electromobility for some time, but is also focusing on the increased use of renewable energies such as solar and wind power. Together with the use of alternative raw materials and the development of innovative recycling concepts, it is part of a comprehensive program with which Covestro is fully gearing itself to the Circular Economy. To achieve this, the company cooperates with many partners along the value chain as well as with universities and institutes.

In the solar cars of the Sonnenwagen team, Covestro is testing innovative and sustainable materials under the extreme climatic conditions that typically prevail on such race tracks: very high UV radiation, high temperatures and mechanical vibrations while driving. The company thereby underscores that its innovative and sustainable materials can be used in cutting-edge technologies, for example for cars. In addition to partially biobased raw materials, the company also plans to launch recycled plastics in the next vehicle.