John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
If you’re lucky, you may have witnessed a one-of-a-kind, sleek, red-and-white vehicle cruising by on the Stanford campus. Beyond its futuristic appearance, the real triumph of this car is that it runs on solar power – and it’s the latest race car representing the decades-long legacy of the Stanford Solar Car Project.
The Stanford Solar Car Project is a nonprofit, student-run organization founded in 1989 and open to students from any field. It’s a multidisciplinary engineering effort from a team that often begins without any engineering experience. On a two-year cycle, the team builds a race car from scratch, learning and applying mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering skills while also planning and strategizing for races.
Over the years, these cars have participated in solar car races around the world – some of which have occurred in inhospitable conditions like headwinds and cloudy days. But when conditions are right, this homemade solar-powered speedster can reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour.
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