At the 2026 Formula Sun Grand Prix this past July, UCI Solar Car debuted UCI’s first ever Solar Car, Soleater. The UCI Solar Car team was the first to pass scrutineering at the competition and placed 10th out of 29 SOVs with 353 miles raced and 114 laps completed. Instagram: @ucisolarcar.
UCI’s 2026 Solar Car race team arrived early in Brainerd, MN (Fig. 1) to prepare their car for Scrutineering. This is a series of static and dynamic safety inspections in 11 categories. (Fig. 2)c
They were the first to pass, and were awarded the starting position for the FSGP track event. (Fig. 3)
The Formula Solar Grand Prix consists of three days on a three mile track from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Teams that complete 100 laps in two of the three days qualify for the American Solar Challenge, which ran 1550 miles from Minneapolis, MN to Amarillo, TX. A fixed sized battery pack for each car is charged at the start of the track event and the remainder of the race relies on solar power.
UCI placed 10th out of the 29 teams. Despite being underpowered compared to other teams, the consistency of the car and driver resulted in 99 laps for the first and third days, just one lap short of qualifying for the ASC. This was an excellent performance for UCI’s first appearance at this event. (Fig. 4)
The team is now preparing for the 2028 American Solar Challenge. They need a new car and a logistics team to support the road race. Two other California teams joined UCI in the top 10, UC Berkeley 6th place and Stanford 7th place.
A complete list of the results can be found at the link: https://www.americansolarchallenge.org/americansolar-challenge/2026-event/results/
Fig. 1 UCI Solar Car team arrives in Brainerd, MN for the Formula Sun Grand Prix.
Fig. 2. UCI Solar Car being evaluated in the figure eight test.
Fig. 3 All of the 2026 FSGP qualifying teams with UCI in first position.
Fig. 4. UCI placed 10th out of 29 teams. One of three California teams at the FSGP.