Driving Greater Energy Efficiency: UNSW’s Sunswift Racing and Altium

The customer in this case study is the University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) Sunswift Racing team. The team is led by Professor Richard Hopkins and is made up of 45 undergraduate students across multiple engineering disciplines. The team has been competing in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge since 1996 and has designed and built 6 solar-powered hybrid vehicles. Their most recent vehicle, the VIolet, ranked 2nd in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and set a new Guinness World Record for Lowest Energy Consumption in 2018. The team uses Altium Designer, a software that has been central to their success.

The University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) Sunswift Racing team, led by Professor Richard Hopkins, has been competing in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge since 1996. This race, which spans the Australian Outback from Darwin to Adelaide, showcases solar-powered, custom-built cars. The Sunswift Racing team, made up of 45 undergraduate students across multiple engineering disciplines, has designed and built 6 solar-powered hybrid vehicles. Their most recent vehicle, the VIolet, ranked 2nd in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and set a new Guinness World Record for Lowest Energy Consumption in 2018. However, the team faced a setback when the 2021 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the cancellation of the 2021 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, the Sunswift Racing team used this as an opportunity to visit schools all over Australia with VIolet, showcasing the potential of STEM education. The team also continued to work on their seventh car, using Altium Designer, a software that has been central to their success. Altium Designer's user-friendly interface, integration of supplier information, and syncing of changes between schematics and PCBs dramatically improved the team's productivity. The software's 3D viewer was essential in minimizing errors and confirming component footprints and physical compatibility with PCBs and enclosures. In addition, UNSW is transitioning Sunswift into a full-fledged institute, encompassing racing, technology, and automotive development, with the goal of developing perpetual-energy vehicles and reviving the Australian automotive industry.

• Despite the setback of the 2021 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge cancellation, the Sunswift Racing team turned this into an opportunity to inspire students all over Australia with the potential of STEM education. The team's use of Altium Designer has dramatically improved their productivity and minimized errors in their car designs. The transition of Sunswift into a full-fledged institute will provide a direct route to rewarding careers for its team members and contribute to the revival of the Australian automotive industry. The institute will also work on the development of perpetual-energy vehicles, addressing the challenge of setting up charging stations in places like the Outback.

• Sunswift Racing team has designed and built 6 solar-powered hybrid vehicles.

• Their most recent vehicle, the VIolet, ranked 2nd in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

• VIolet set a new Guinness World Record for Lowest Energy Consumption in 2018.