Innoptus Solar Team has completed a 200 km road test in Belgium with its solar vehicle Infinite Apollo.
The vehicle is equipped with back-contact (BC) technology and vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) developed by Chinese PV manufacturer Longi. The test serves as a technical validation ahead of the team’s participation in the American Solar Challenge scheduled for July 2026.
The test was conducted under real-world urban driving conditions and varying levels of solar irradiance to assess the performance of the vehicle’s photovoltaic and energy systems in complex operational environments. The route covered six locations across Belgium, enabling analysis of energy generation stability under changing traffic conditions, solar orientation, and variable cloud cover.
Infinite Apollo – the eleventh generation solar car developed by the team – was designed and built between 2024 and 2025. It features a 6 m² solar array, reportedly the largest to date, with an efficiency exceeding 27%. The vehicle also integrates two fixed aerodynamic fins for crosswind stability, a 3 kWh battery, and an in-house-developed high-efficiency motor.
Despite a solar array approximately 50% larger than its predecessor, the vehicle weighs only 170 kg and can travel more than 300 km on solar power alone, according to the team.
The VIPV system supplied by Longi includes flexible back-contact solar cells adapted for curved aerodynamic surfaces. The back-contact architecture removes front-side metallization, relocating all electrical contacts to the rear of the cells. The cells are manufactured using TaiRay silicon wafers and flexible encapsulation materials designed for mobile applications.
According to the Chinese manufacturer, the components are engineered to withstand vibration, thermal cycling, and mechanical stress. The project also involves industrial collaboration with Sibelco, which supplies high-purity quartz sand used in solar cell production.
The vehicle was developed over approximately ten months and underwent several thousand kilometers of preliminary testing to optimize both the solar array and battery system.
The Innoptus Solar Team previously finished third in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, completing more than 3,000 km between Darwin and Adelaide, Australia, in six days.
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