Past Vehicles
UNSW Sunswift I
The original Sunswift vehicle was purchased from the Aurora Vehicle Association in 1995 and then significantly upgraded and improved by the UNSW SRT for the 1996 World Solar Challenge. A new motor and controller, roll cage, chassis and batteries were added. The car placed 9th in the 1996 World Solar Challenge, from a field of 46 entries, including teams like Honda Motors Corporation, Biel and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. No mean feat for the very first entry from a new student team. Following it's race success, UNSW Sunswift I was sent to Singapore Polytechnic on a long term loan to assist them in starting up their own team. The vehicle returned to the team in 2002 and now resides at the UNSW SRT workshop. The experienced gained with the Sunswift vehicle inspired the development of UNSW Sunswift II starting in 1997.
UNSW Sunswift II
Over seven years, from 1997 to 2003, the team developed, refined and raced four versions of UNSW Sunswift II in this time the team acheived, among many other notable engineering achievements two world first. In 2000-2001 the team embarked on the TopCell Project to manufacture buried contact solar cells and construct a new solar array. This makes the UNSW SRT the first and only team to have made their own solar cells. In conjunction with the Centre for Photovoltaic Engineering, the team achieved a new world record efficiency for this type of solar cell along the way. The cells on Sunswift II that were not manufactured by students were at the time the world's highest efficiency "PERL" silicon solar cells, made at UNSW. The team also developed another world first, a revolutionary cell encapsulation technique which allowed it to mould solar panels to the curved shape of the car.
The car competed in the 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003 SunRace, the 1999, 2001 and 2003 World Solar Challenge and in 2001 NRMA Sunswift II became the first solar car to use the Eastern Distributer Tunnel in Sydney.
In 2003, as UNSW Sunswift II was on route to the 2003 World Solar Challenge, tragedy struck the team. The tow vehicle and trailer carrying the car rolled, and the car was damaged beyond repair. UNSW Sunswift II was the culmination of all previously outlined developments and much more. For many in the team, the premature end to the 2003 World Solar Challenge campaign resulted in a revaluation of priorities.
The team stood at arguably its most difficult decision, ever. If the team was to continue, should it continue through and complete the final refinement to the research and development phase that had proved successful, or should a new bold approach be taken? The team made the decision that the focus and priority should be developing a car that would retain the key features of UNSW Sunswift II yet highlight the synergies between current technology and the future of land transport. It was time to focus on a relevant practical implementation of all the previous research in a context for global innovation. On this brief the UNSW Solar Racing Team began to design an entirely new car, free from traditional constraints. In 2004 they embarked on the construction of Jaycar Sunswift III.
