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CalSol - The UC Berkeley Solar Vehicle Team

$18,201
121%
Raised toward our $15,000 Goal
53 Donors
Project has ended
Project ended on November 15, at 11:59 PM PST
Project Owners

CalSol - The UC Berkeley Solar Vehicle Team

We are a team of almost 100 passionate Berkeley undergraduate students who design, build, and race high-speed, street-legal solar vehicles. We have built 8 generations of racing vehicles, developing and enhancing our designs with each iteration. Each one is built nearly entirely by our students, from scratch; the knowledge and experience gained is unparalleled. Our last car, Zephyr, has had a long and successful career, placing first at our 2017 race and second at one of our 2018 races. In July, we drove it more than 1,700 miles from Omaha, Nebraska to Bend, Oregon using 100% solar power. Our team welcomes all interested students and is home to a variety of majors across the University. We provide unparalleled hands-on experience in engineering, project management, supply chain interactions, teamwork, problem-solving, and more. Can you make a gift to support CalSol today?

Our members clean dust off the solar array to increase its efficiency.
Our members clean dust off the solar array to increase its efficiency.

With our next generation vehicle, Tachyon, we are building something new, revolutionary, futuristic, and practical. This vehicle represents the future of energy efficiency and transportation, as well as a monument to the innovative powerhouse that is Berkeley Engineering. Our design still features a fully solar-powered electric vehicle, but distinct from any of our previous generations it will be a four-passenger vehicle, instead of a single-seater. Design work is mostly completed, and construction has already begun in earnest.

 

We are designing, building, and racing a vehicle that is ultimately a stepping stone to future advances in transportation technology, making car transportation more energy-efficient and closer to carbon neutral. Our members have developed brand-new power electronics and design innovations in order to push our cars’ efficiency as far as possible. One day, we hope that technology from our cars and others like them will allow solar cars to not just be race cars, but also vehicles with practical, everyday use.

Muneeb finishes changing a tire on Zephyr at the Formula Sun Grand Prix 2018.

The most exciting time for us is always our races, and 2019 will be a big year. In the summer we expect to go to the Formula Sun Grand Prix, like we do every year. We’ll be racing Tachyon on its maiden race in Texas. But fresh off that race, we will put our vehicle in a shipping container and hop on a plane to Australia, where CalSol will race across the Outback against the best solar car teams in the world in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. We are hoping to use this crowdfunding campaign to help cover the expenses of this important event, such as air fare, shipping costs, and of course numerous other team expenses. Please pitch in to help make it all possible!

Approximate breakdown of costs necessary to compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

 

You can follow our progress on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @BerkeleyCalSol. Our website is calsol.berkeley.edu.

 

Thank you for your support!

 

(Psst! By the way, donations to CalSol are tax-deductible!)

Our way
of Thanking You

$25

Wallpaper Pack

A downloadable package of CalSol wallpapers for desktop and mobile.

4 of Unlimited Claimed
Estimated Delivery: December 2018

$50

CalSol Bumper Stickers

Favorites from last year, as well as new one(s). Proclaim to the world that your other car is a solar car! Includes all perks below this level.

8 of Unlimited Claimed
Estimated Delivery: January 2019

$75

Postcard from WSC 2019

Get a handwritten postcard from somewhere along the route of WSC 2019! Includes all perks below this level.

4 of Unlimited Claimed
Estimated Delivery: October 2019

$125

Lapel Pins

A set of lapel pins: one with our sun logo, one shaped like a solar car. Includes all perks below this level.

6 of Unlimited Claimed
Estimated Delivery: March 2019

$200

Adopt-a-Cell

Be featured on our website as the adopted parent of one of our solar cells! Includes all perks below this level.

7 of 200 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: December 2018

$350

Tachyon Model

Personally fabricated by a CalSol member. Includes all perks below this level.

3 of 20 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: March 2019

$500

"Friend of CalSol" Status

Official sponsorship status at the "Friend of CalSol" level. Get your name listed among our sponsors on our website and social media posts. Includes all perks below this level.

8 of Unlimited Claimed
Estimated Delivery: December 2018

$2,000

Bronze Level Sponsor

All the normal perks for being a bronze level sponsor, including your name/logo on our solar car, trailer, and website, as well as social media posts and a blog post. Includes all perks below this level.

1 of Unlimited Claimed
Estimated Delivery: January 2019

$2,500

Tachyon Joyride

Come to the Richmond Field Station for a ride in Tachyon! We will contact you to arrange scheduling. Includes all perks below this level.

1 of 3 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: November 2019
Our Crowdfunding Groups