On July 19, multiple teams of high school students will launch a five-day, 630-mile road competition from Fort Worth to Fort Stockton in Texas. Yet this event differs from standard races. The students create and construct the vehicles themselves, relying on readily available components and 3D printed elements. The victor is the group that racks up the highest total driven miles. Moreover, the sole energy source for these uniquely assembled machines comes from the brilliant star overhead: the Sun.

This marks the 30th year of the yearly Solar Car Challenge, an event uniting high school participants nationwide with the shared aim of crafting the quickest and most effective solar-driven car. The competition originated in 1993 thanks to Dr. Lehman Marks, a Texas teacher long passionate about STEM fields. Through the program, students gain abilities in areas like project oversight, cost control, resource gathering, and technical design. Above all, they must produce a competition-ready solar machine capable of covering the full route.

This year marks three decades of the Solar Car Challenge, bringing high school teams together from across the nation to create solar vehicles built to cover long distances

Lehman explained that the Solar Car Challenge arose from his concerns over STEM teaching methods in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He noticed students losing interest in purely textbook-based lessons and looked for ways to engage them. After receiving an invitation from a contact at the University of North Texas, who was developing a college-level solar car for a fresh contest, he brought his group along.

"We visited the site and the students were captivated by the complexity of the solar effort," he shared. "On the return trip from Denton to Dallas, they kept asking, 'Doc, can we please make a solar car?'"

He agreed, but soon saw that high school groups could not match college squads due to gaps in specialized knowledge and funding. This led to the creation of the Solar Car Challenge aimed at high schoolers, with the formal program starting in 1993 and the initial national event in 1995.

From the start, the initiative has involved more than 85,000 students in 39 states plus several nations such as Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, and Singapore. Over 260 high school solar efforts remain active today. The format shifts between track-based and cross-country events, and this year's edition involves a tough 630-mile trek across Texas. The five-day path begins July 19 in Fort Worth and passes through Palestine, Round Rock, Fredericksburg, and San Angelo before ending in Fort Stockton. Lehman noted that local communities greet the groups warmly at each stop.

"It goes beyond just assembling a vehicle," Lehman emphasized. "It involves mastering how to operate that vehicle properly. For this upcoming race, I have stressed to the participants that they must log 500 miles on their car beforehand. They need to check if it will fail and ensure any issues occur in their own space where repairs are easier."

The contest usually includes three classes: classic, advanced, and electric-solar hybrid, where teams compete with electric cars charged at fixed solar stations. This edition adds a fresh category called cruiser. Here, groups construct four-passenger cars featuring solar panels built into the vehicle structure.

The choice to launch this new class stemmed from repeated questions about whether solar cars could ever look like standard autos rather than sleek, low-profile machines with drivers tucked under large panels. In fact, many entries hardly resemble typical road vehicles, instead evoking a blend of advanced spacecraft and specialized go-karts.

"It goes beyond just assembling a vehicle."

— Lehman Marks, Founder of the Solar Car Challenge

Lehman said the team wanted students to develop solar vehicles resembling everyday passenger models, complete with body-integrated solar cells, space for four riders, four doors, and storage space. He feels this approach shows the real-world uses of solar transport and lets people picture future solar-supported cars.

"Observers would note, 'This is interesting, yet it does not reflect actual use,'" he said. "Now we can illustrate the possibilities. I view that as progress."

Blake Wood, a 17-year-old upcoming senior at Benbrook Middle-High School near Fort Worth, serves as a captain for the Old Rip Racing solar team, one of the independent entries. Their 14-person group draws from three schools, which Wood sees as a key advantage since it connects students who might not otherwise interact on an engineering task.

Wood explained that planning started about a year ahead. Early steps involved sketches on paper after reviewing prior successful entries in the Classic Division, meant for newer teams. They noted effective features from those designs and added them to their concepts. As work advanced, the group built CAD abilities and turned sketches into digital models. Mastering the software formed part of the learning experience.

"Observers would note, 'This is interesting, yet it does not reflect actual use.'"

— Lehman Marks

"Our car appears quite appealing to me," Wood said. "Sadly, we rarely see it fully assembled, as we spend time repairing or adjusting parts, then reinstalling them, only to find we must weld an area and remove an electrical piece again."

While battery-electric cars have grown common, solar vehicles stay mostly experimental. Several companies focused on solar cars have shifted strategies or closed. Wood remains hopeful about solar transport's future if programs like this continue introducing young people to clean energy ideas. As alumni move into careers, they can advance the tech needed for viable solar vehicles.

"Progress continues," Wood noted. "Many high school students are building these, and with proper tools plus added skills, it seems achievable."

Lehman concurs and mentions efforts by firms like Aptera to create accessible solar cars. Yet he stressed that producing commercial products was never the main aim of the Solar Car Challenge.

"Some ask if we aim to improve solar cars. Honestly, that is not my focus," he said. "I focus on developing capable students who understand commitment, project dedication, collaboration, engineering, and battery systems. I work to prepare a skilled workforce and future engineers."