The American Solar Challenge is a biennial, experiential learning event for collegiate teams to design and build a vehicle powered by the sun, then demonstrate its capabilities in a distance-based, endurance, energy-management competition traveling epic routes across the US. 

 

In honor of the Route 66 the Route 66 Centennial, the majority of the 1,500 mile 2026 tour will feature Route 66. The overall route follows two National Scenic Byways, the Great River road and Route 66, as teams make their way from Minneapolis, MN to Amarillo, TX.

US Collegiate Solar Car Events 

Innovators Educational Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, organizes the US collegiate solar car events – the Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) annual track event and the biennial American Solar Challenge (ASC) road event. 

Colleges and universities across the US as well as international entries participate in this multidisciplined, STEM, experiential learning set of events. 

Teams spend 1-2 years designing, building, and testing their solar powered vehicle before bringing it to the event. Additionally, teams complete pre-event registration requirements, including vehicle design reports, which are reviewed by inspectors for compliance with the regulations.

Festivities for the Electrek American Solar Challenge (ASC) begin with a public display and practicality judging for the Multi-Occupant Vehicle class on July 24. The following morning, the solar car teams start their adventure following a pre-determined route along 1500+ miles of national scenic byways from Minnesota to Texas, with large portions on the Great River Road and Route 66, in honor of the Route 66 Centennial. During this tour of America, teams with extra energy available are invited to complete optional challenge loops at select locations to further demonstrate the capabilities of their solar powered vehicles.

CityRoleDates
Minneapolis, MNStart LineSat, July 25
La Crosse, WICheckpointSat, July 25
Normal, ILCheckpointSun, July 26 – Mon, July 27
Edwardsville, ILRolla, MOCarthage, MOTulsa, OKElk City, OKAmarillo, TXStage StopCheckpointStage StopCheckpointStage StopFinish LineMon, July 27 – Tue, July 28Tue, July 28Wed, July 29 – Thu, July 30Thu, July 30Fri, July 31 – Sat, August 1Sat, August 1

The ASC route is broken into a series of stages with mandatory stops along the way to interact with the public and media as well as check-in with event staff for timing purposes, route updates, etc. To finish ASC, teams will face varying terrain and traffic conditions and unpredictable weather all while carefully managing their power from the solar array and onboard batteries. 
 
The winner of the ASC single-occupant vehicle class is determined by the total official miles completed, including both the base route and optional challenge loops. The multi-occupant vehicle class has a more complex scoring equation which takes into account the number of passenger-miles, achieving a minimum target average speed, and a practicality score. Of course, just finishing the event is a huge accomplishment for all of the teams!