Results are in! These teams are moving on to the 2026 Electrek American Solar Challenge

This is a story about student solar car racing, not home energy upgrades, so there isn't much here that touches your own house or rebates. Still, here's what happened: teams from universities around the world raced solar-powered cars at the Formula Sun Grand Prix in Brainerd, Minnesota, competing for spots in the cross-country American Solar Challenge. To qualify, teams had to drive 200 miles in one day or 300 miles over two days. Sixteen teams made the cut outright, with three more (Illinois, SIUE, and Wisconsin) getting a conditional spot, bringing the field to as many as 19 cars.

École de technologie supérieure from Montreal dominated the single-driver category, covering about 1,070 miles in 24 hours, a new event record. Delft University of Technology and KU Leuven's Innoptus team took second and third. In the multi-passenger category, Georgia Tech won with a perfect score, and Appalachian State and Polytechnique Montréal followed, both having run their entire event on solar power alone without pulling any electricity from the grid.

The cars now head to Minneapolis, where the actual American Solar Challenge begins July 25. It covers more than 1,500 miles along the Great River Road and Historic Route 66, ending August 1 in Amarillo, Texas. For homeowners, this is really just a look at how far solar-powered vehicle technology has come in efficiency and design, rather than something that changes any rebate or upgrade option for your house.