A team of students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, has designed and built a solar-powered car called Aagneya, which will compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025. The car will travel 3,000 kilometers from Darwin to Adelaide through the Australian outback, facing extreme temperatures and crosswinds exceeding 60 km/h. The Aagneya car is an “intelligent” vehicle that can make real-time decisions during the race, taking into account weather, solar irradiance, and terrain to optimize its speed and energy usage.
The Agnirath team, which developed the car, consists of 38 students from diverse disciplines who have worked over 15,000 hours to brainstorm, prototype, test, and refine the vehicle. The car’s design, performance, and efficiency have been re-imagined, with a carbon fiber body to reduce weight. A machine learning-based strategy module has been integrated to enable the car to make real-time decisions during the race.
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is a global innovation challenge in solar technology that invites teams from around the world to showcase their energy-efficient electric vehicles. The event is considered one of the most demanding engineering competitions in the world, with daytime temperatures soaring above 50°C and dropping below 5°C at night.
The IIT Madras team is seeking resources to support their participation in the challenge, with the Director, V Kamakoti, encouraging alumni and start-ups to give back to the institute to support future innovations. The institute has a strong track record of innovation, with over 100 start-ups incubated and 470 patents filed in the last financial year alone.
The Aagneya car is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of the IIT Madras students, who have worked tirelessly to develop a cutting-edge vehicle that can compete on the global stage. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025 will take place from August 24 to August 31, and the IIT Madras team is confident that their solar-powered car will make a strong impression. With its advanced technology and innovative design, the Aagneya car has the potential to make a significant impact in the field of solar energy and electric vehicles.