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CalSol - UC Berkeley Solar Vehicle Team

$11,436
142%
Raised toward our $8,000 Goal
113 Donors
Project has ended
Project ended on October 31, at 11:59 PM PDT
Project Owners

CalSol: Driving the Future of Clean Energy

Striving for a more sustainable and greener future, CalSol is a team of undergraduate students who design, build, test, and race high-speed, road-legal, fully solar-powered vehicles. Historically composed of over 80 students from a variety of disciplines, we provide our members with hands-on experience in engineering, project management, supply chain interactions, teamwork, problem-solving, and more. 

We’ve built a team that welcomes students from all backgrounds and experience levels. This year, we’ve seen the highest turnout of new members in years: more than 50 new students have joined the team in the past few weeks. We’re eager to introduce them to the world of cutting-edge solar and renewable energy technology.

Some of our team at the Richmond Field Station (2022)

We have built nine generations of racing vehicles, enhancing our designs with each generation. Tachyon, our 9th generation vehicle, has had a long and successful career. We’ve raced Tachyon at the 2019 Circuit of the Americas race in Austin, Texas, finishing second in two years in a row. In the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, the world’s most prestigious international solar car race, Tachyon placed 13th. Last summer, we raced Zephyr (our 8th generation vehicle) in the Formula Sun Grand Prix and the American Solar Challenge, placing 4th in both.

Due to the multitude of university-related transportation issues that we have been facing since last Spring, the team struggled to travel to Richmond Field Station, where we are building Excalibur, our 10th generation vehicle. Still, we found ways to spend almost all weekends and many weekdays in the summer to have Excalibur road ready (thanks to all our motivated and committed members!). However, we need your help.

Currently, we are crowdfunding to cover the cost to finish manufacturing Excalibur and to start building our 11th generation vehicle. Excalibur is said to be the fastest and most efficient vehicle our team has built since its conception with a unique mono-chassis and carbon fiber shell. Our $8K goal will primarily go towards paying for the transportation fees and purchase of foundation materials for the new vehicle that we will be building. With your contribution, we can provide more opportunities for members to tackle hands-on design and manufacturing work and finish Excalibur to continue our legacy of success. 

Testing the Dynamics of Excalibur

Will you make a tax-deductible donation today to support CalSol and make it all possible? Your donation will contribute to the manufacturing of Excalibur and our 11th generation vehicle, which will aid the development of solar and renewable energy technology and the education of brilliant engineers.


Expenses of Excalibur

Your contribution means a lot to us and our goal for a better future.

Feel free to contact us on our email or social media platforms:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @BerkeleyCalsol

Email: calsol-me@berkeley.edu


Thank you and Go Bears!


Our way
of Thanking You

$25

Wallpapers

Get a set of customised CalSol Wallpapers for your phone, tablet and PC detailing our past cars and fun takes on the team's creative ideas!

53 of 100 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: December 2023

$50

Stickers

Receive custom-made stickers with the CalSol Logo, and show your support to Solar Energy and our goal of sustainability.

19 of 100 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: March 2024

$100

Postcards

Receive personalized postcards from the team as we race our 10th Gen Vehicle, Excalibur in the summer of 2024 and get an inside view of the competition and our adventures!

8 of 100 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: August 2024

$200

Newsletters

Get an exclusive monthly update on UC Berkeley's Solar Vehicle team, including our latest progress on manufacturing, team outreach events and more!

1 of 100 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: November 2023

$350

Adopt-a-cell

Running entirely on solar power is no joke, but our solar cells are principal to our success. Donate, and your name can now be on one!

2 of 20 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: November 2023

$500

Name on Website

Have your name featured on the CalSol website for all our viewers and sponsors to see! And get featured on our social media.

5 of 50 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: November 2023

$1,000

RFS Tour/Special Video Message

We know our supporters are located all over the country and world, so we want to give you a special thanks without you having to be at Berkeley. With this level you will either get to tour our Richmond workstation (if you're in the area) or get a video filmed from our team at our workshop as a special thank you for being such an awesome donor.

3 of 50 Claimed
Estimated Delivery: November 2023
Our Crowdfunding Groups