ETH Zurich takes 11th in World Solar Challenge with sponsor Gebrüder Weiss

ETH Zurich's aCentauri Solar Racing Team, sponsored by Gebrüder Weiss, finished the World Solar Challenge in Australia in 11th place out of 28 teams in the "Challenger" class. The students covered the approximately 3,000-kilometer route from Darwin to Adelaide in six days, facing consistently challenging Australian winter weather and road conditions. Once again, Gebrüder Weiss served as the team's official logistics partner.

"Placing 11th shows how well the team handled the challenges of this year's race – a great achievement," said Tracy van Arend, branch manager for Gebrüder Weiss Adelaide. She welcomed the ETH team at the finish line together with Sharon Young, customer service and process manager at Gebrüder Weiss Australia. "It was exciting to follow the race and cheer for the team. While we, as the logistics partner, don't directly influence the competition itself, we make sure that the vehicle arrives in Australia on time, giving the students sufficient opportunity to train and prepare. We were able to deliver that again this year," adds Sharon Young.

Following the race, Gebrüder Weiss is handling the return transport of the solar car and its equipment back to Europe. The customized logistics solution includes sea freight, comprehensive customs clearance, and final delivery of the solar vehicle by truck to Technopark Zurich.

Challenging Conditions in the Australian Winter
For the first time, the race was held during the Australian winter. The students had to adapt to cooler temperatures and different light conditions. This required an adjusted race strategy, particularly with respect to energy management and daily planning. On day three of the race, the team also faced a technical issue: the cruise control failed, and a gust of wind tore off part of the left wheel cover. Both problems were quickly repaired, and the vehicle was back on the road shortly afterward.

"This year's circumstances pushed us but also showed how resilient our team and vehicle are," says Clara Nörenberg, team manager at aCentauri. "We modified our strategy and proved that solar mobility can perform reliably even under difficult circumstances."

Looking ahead, the aCentauri Solar Racing Team is already preparing for the next World Solar Challenge in two years. Their goal: to return with an optimized vehicle and secure a spot among the top ten.

Further background on this and other Gebrüder Weiss projects related to the "Future of Mobility" can be found at: https://www.gw-world.com/company/sustainability/future-of-mobility, or via the logistics company's social media channels.