Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 to Host Over 30 Collegiate Solar Car Teams

Premier solar competition celebrates its 25th anniversary, returns to National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park for second consecutive year

BOWLING GREEN, KY, UNITED STATES, June 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Innovators Educational Foundation (IEF) is excited to announce the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 (FSGP), a premier collegiate solar car competition, will be hosted for the second consecutive year at the National Corvette Museum (NCM) Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Ky., from July 3-5. This three-day endurance event, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, highlights the ingenuity and dedication of more than 30 collegiate teams from across North America.

“We are excited to bring the solar cars back to NCM Motorsports Park for the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! Even more so, the teams are excited to showcase their innovative vehicles powered by the sun, inspiring young and old alike while demonstrating the capabilities of solar power and engineering creativity, said Gail Lueck, Event Director and Operations Director at IEF. “Celebrating 25 years since the first Formula Sun Grand Prix, we are proud to continue to provide this hands-on, multi-disciplined, experiential learning opportunity for today’s college students that will become tomorrow’s leaders.”

Showcasing Collegiate Ingenuity and Dedication
The Electrek FSGP 2025 will once again offer an exciting showcase of cutting-edge solar technology and innovative engineering while highlighting the ingenuity and dedication of collegiate teams from across North America.

Each team has spent countless hours designing, building and refining their solar-powered vehicles to compete in this prestigious event. The competition not only tests the endurance and speed of these cars but also emphasizes reliability, strategic energy management and adaptability to weather conditions.

See here a full list of teams.

Solar Enthusiasts Welcome to Attend
The event is open to the public from July 3-5 when the solar-powered cars will be on track demonstrating their capabilities. Visitors will have the opportunity to witness these incredible vehicles in action as they complete as many laps as possible using only solar energy. This year’s event will utilize the 3.15-mile Grand Full Course at the NCM Motorsports Park, providing an exhilarating backdrop for this unique engineering challenge.

Admission to the Electrek FSGP 2025 is free, making it an excellent opportunity for families, technology enthusiasts and anyone interested in sustainable transportation to experience the future of automotive innovation. Attendees can interact with the teams during charging hours to learn about the technology behind the solar cars and get inspired by the young engineers driving the future of green energy.

Below are the best times to attend (all times Central Time Zone):
Thursday July 3
10 a.m.: Ceremonial Start
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Hot Track
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Evening Charging

Friday July 4
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Hot Track
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Evening Charging

Saturday, July 5
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Hot Track
Post Racing: Awards Ceremony

See here a detailed schedule of the event, including pre-event Load In and Scrutineering.

Altair's Solar Car Challenge 2025 Returns With $10,000 Prize
The Altair Challenge is returning to the FSGP 2025, offering teams a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize and other prizes. The Altair Challenge is designed to push the analysis and optimization skills of competing teams to new heights, tasking them with the re-design of a given part using only the provided Altair tools.

In addition to the chance of winning the $10,000 prize money or other great prizes, participants will upskill their abilities to optimize parts of their team's solar car, giving their teams an advantage in the overall contest and in the process become better engineers.

"The Altair Solar Challenge is a unique opportunity for student teams to elevate their engineering skills through cutting-edge design and optimization tools," said Jim Ryan, Vice President of Global Academic Programs at Altair. "By pushing the boundaries of part redesign and performance, this challenge not only strengthens their technical expertise but also gives them a competitive edge in the race. We’re proud to support the innovators driving the future of sustainable transportation."

Sponsorships Reach New Heights
Electrek, a leading news and commentary site focusing on the transition from fossil fuels to electric transport and green energy initiatives, is proud to once again serve as the title sponsor of this year’s event.

“At Electrek, we’re not here to watch the clean-energy transportation revolution – we’re here to drive it,” said Seth Weintraub, founder of Electrek. “That’s why we’re amped to sponsor the Formula Sun Grand Prix. These talented student-led teams are blowing past limits and proving that the future runs on sunlight and smarts. We are witnessing the future leaders of the clean transportation industry who are ensuring clean energy leaves fossil fuels in the dust.”

In addition to Altair and Electrek, FSGP 2025 is proud to welcome AESC, Blue Origin, MathWorks, GENERAC and Retrospec as sponsors for this year’s event.

“AESC is proud to sponsor the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix and support the next generation of innovators shaping the future of clean energy and transportation. As a global leader in battery technology for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, we know that education, creativity and hands-on experience are key to unlocking tomorrow’s breakthroughs,” said Brad Grantham, AESC Spokesperson. “The FSGP reflects our own mission to accelerate a sustainable future and we’re excited to help empower these talented students as they push the boundaries of solar-powered vehicle design.”

The Formula Sun Grand Prix is not affiliated with the Formula 1 companies, FORMULA 1 racing, or the FIA Formula One World Championship.

About the Innovators Educational Foundation
Innovators Educational Foundation (IEF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that organizes solar car events in the United States, including the American Solar Challenge and the Formula Sun Grand Prix. These events provide hands-on, multi-disciplinary learning opportunities for college students, fostering innovation in solar-powered transportation.

Adam Gasper
FINN Partners
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