Stronger for its battle-scars, the Cambridge University Eco-Racing Team (CUER) is determined to show that innovation, backed by solid engineering, will give their new vehicle Evolution the edge at the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2015 from 18-25 October – a biennial endurance event across the harsh Australian outback.

CUER is a 60 strong student organisation that designs, builds and races vehicles that are powered by the sun, aiming to demonstrate the incredible potential of electric vehicles. In 2013 the team’s hopes were dashed dramatically after a crash during road testing in Australia raised concerns over the car's stability.

Driver Alan Jamieson says that rigorous testing has identified the cause of the problem and this has been addressed through a refinement of the design and stringent quality control. New enhancements will ensure that Evolution, the new vehicle, will hold the road and its own against stiff competition.

Amy Livingstone, Head of the Electrical Team, explains: “Our main focus this time has been on improving the reliability of the electronics and there has been a 15% improvement in base power consumption.

Our space grade solar array is cutting edge and has been rotated by 90 degrees to reduce shading due to the Fresnel losses in the canopy. The battery is of the best energy density available so that has been retained.

 We've worked on revamping the driver controls to make it more intuitive to use and a higher resolution screen has allowed us to integrate a rear view camera into the dashboard to improve visibility, which is much needed on the roads in the dusty Australian outback.”