Team History

2016 [Team Founded]

RU Solar is founded by Matthew Middleton with the ambitious goal of building a vehicle for the American Solar Challenge (ASC). Serving as the team’s advisor is Dr. Birnie, a solar car pioneer from the early 2000s who joined Rutgers from the University of Arizona.

2019 [First Competition]

RU Solar receives a 2015 solar car chassis from Stanford, boosting donations, team recognition, and hardware engineering efforts. The team competes in the Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) 2019 but completes only 2 of the 9 scrutineering stations.

2022 [New Vehicle]

After overcoming COVID setbacks, the team moves into the new Project Studio and designs a brand-new solar car, this time built entirely by RU Solar. The team attends ASC 2022 to document the event, interview other teams, and develop a strategy for future competitions.

2024 [Present]

With over 80 students across 9 majors, RU Solar is working hard on a fully designed Solar-Only Vehicle (SOV) for entry into the Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025.