A consumer-friendly solar car build by Iowa State University students is making its way around Iowa this month, and Clickstop was lucky enough to get a visit on June 21st.

PrISUm, ISU’s solar car team, is comprised of 120 students. The car, called Penumbra, will visit all of Iowa’s 99 counties in June as part of an annual outreach to showcase the fully sustainable vehicle, as well as promote renewable energy and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

Clickstop employees and community members were excited to check out the car. Penumbra will be competing in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia this October. The car is certainly a head turner, with its aerodynamic design and bright Iowa State University color scheme. The car took two years to design and manufacture, and has many features that can be found in present-day motor vehicles, including four seats, Bluetooth audio and wireless charging for cell phones.

Instead of gasoline or diesel fuel, Penumbra is powered by the sun.  This recharges the on board batteries as the vehicle is driven. Completely charged, Penumbra delivers up to 200 miles. On a sunny day, a constant speed of 40 mph can be achieved without using energy from the batteries.

Employees at Clickstop were excited to see the innovation and hard work that went into the creation of this car.

To find out more information, visit http://www.prisum.org 

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