Solar Storms Solar Car Team

July 21, 2026

Day 3 brought another challenge, but this team continues to prove that setbacks won’t stop them. After yesterday’s rough encounter with some major speed bumps, the team discovered the primary battery assembly had been damaged and decided it can not be fixed. Ironically, every bit of wiring the students designed and installed held up perfectly – It was a component inside the assembly that failed.

The crew worked together all morning, and by 12:30pm a new battery was installed and the car was back on the road. Replacing the battery comes with a race penalty of up to 50 miles, so it didn’t make sense to put on many extra miles today. Instead, the team made the most of the situation, taking the solar car on a memorable trip through the Whataburger drive-thru before driving the final three miles into the day’s finish in Fredericksburg.

Tonight, the team has a fully charged battery, a working car, and renewed confidence heading into tomorrow. Every race has its highs and lows, and today showed just how resilient this group is. They’re still in the race, still fighting, and ready for what tomorrow brings. Fingers crossed for a big day ahead!