This is the seventh North American title for the U-M team, which won the inaugural event in 1990 with its first car, the Sunrunner.

More than 100 students created Quantum. Quantum weighs 320 lbs (145 kg) without a driver and is 16’ long x 5’ wide x 3.5’ tall. Estimated top speed is 105 mph (169 km/h). Quantum’s battery custom-made lithium-ion battery was created from scratch with an assist from SolidWorks Simulation to help test for overheating.

U-M Quantum. Click to enlarge.

The racers encountered some bad weather conditions on the route, including intense rain on the second and last day of racing. U-M took advantage of the weather on day two, acquiring a two-hour lead as other teams hampered by the rain were forced to drive slower to preserve their energy.

Quantum, U-M’s lightest-ever vehicle, finished third in the World Solar Challenge in Australia last fall. It weighs a full 200 pounds less than its most recent predecessor, and it is 30% more aerodynamic.

The U-M Solar Car Team has finished third in the World Solar Challenge five times, most recently in 2011. With more than 100 students from schools and colleges across the university, U-M Solar Car is one of the largest student organizations on campus.

Major sponsors of the U-M Solar Car team include IMRA America, Michigan Engineering, Ford Motor and General Motors.