A group of Palo Alto High School students is headed to Texas to compete in the biennial Solar Car Challenge, a 925-mile race from Fort Worth, Texas to Palmdale, California starting on July 16.
The Palo Alto Solar Vehicle team has spent the past four months designing and building The Beast, a three-wheel, 100% solar powered vehicle, from scratch. The team will be eligible to compete in the seven-day race if they pass the initial three-day “scrutineering” test in which judges ensure that the vehicle meets the requirements of the challenge and that the driver — a student on the team — is capable of completing the journey.
The team is the only high school team in Northern California to enter the race, which is divided into tiers based on experience. The Palo Alto team is entering the beginner’s Classic Division, in which the vehicle that travels the most miles in the shortest amount…
