How we crossed the red continent

Australia

Our team from Jönköping participated on the Bridgestone World Solar Challange, where universities compete against each other with their self built solar cars. The one who crosses Australia first wins. Our team finished 7th position out of 28 teams.

Map of Australia showing the Darwin-to-Adelaide route through Katherine, Daly Waters, Tennant Creek, Barrow Creek, Alice Springs, Kulgera, Coober Pedy, Glendambo, and Port Augusta.
Mountain bikers riding along a sunlit gravel road through eucalyptus trees
Small waterfall cascading over dark rocks into a shallow stream surrounded by lush forest vegetation
White clustered flowers blooming in a lush garden with purple flowers in the background
Modern house surrounded by lush tropical plants and a large palm tree under a clear blue sky
Red vintage convertible sports car driving along a tree-lined road.
Black-and-white photo of a man driving a classic convertible sports car on a tree-lined road.
Yellow winding-road warning sign with a 35 km/h speed advisory amid lush roadside vegetation.
Black-and-white abstract view of a modern building facade with repeating geometric windows and panels
Rear of a utility trailer loaded with equipment, displaying a Swedish flag sign labeled “JU Solar Team” and yellow UHF race number 28.
Silhouetted ocean pier with lamp posts and people beneath dramatic storm clouds at sunset
Maroon Ford Everest SUV equipped with solar panels and roof-mounted equipment at an outdoor solar car competition
Dry desert grassland with a rugged, flat-topped rocky mountain under a hazy sky
Yellow floodway warning sign beside a rural desert highway with dry grassland and low hills
Desert highway stretching through dry scrubland with a car and a floodway warning sign under a cloudy sky
Solar-powered race car convoy traveling on an Australian outback highway, led by a support SUV labeled “Caution! Solar Vehicle Ahead.”
Solar-powered race car with Union Jack canopy driving on a rural road
Pier extending into ocean at sunset beneath dramatic storm clouds, with waves rolling onto a sandy beach.
Illuminated Ferris wheel on the beach at dusk in front of the Stamford Plaza building, with seagulls in the foreground.
First-person view of hiking shoes and legs standing on reddish desert sand
Solar-powered race cars and team members at a desert road checkpoint.
Person in a high-visibility vest beside a Stuart Highway sign pointing toward Alice Springs and Adelaide in the Australian outback
Desert plant with fuzzy gray leaves, purple flowers, and green berries growing in rocky red soil
Solar-powered race car driving on a remote Australian road through dry bushland
Purple-and-white Durham University solar race car driving on a desert road
Cadney Homestead gas station with fuel pumps, a pickup truck, and orange canopy in an Australian outback setting
Rural gas station canopy with fuel pumps and a branded event vehicle in a desert landscape
Orange canopy at a desert roadside truck stop with three LINFOX semi-trailers, eucalyptus trees, and a palm tree under a clear blue sky
Outdoor Telstra public payphone booth beside a leafy tree and residential fence
Black-and-white photo of a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and quilted vest walking through a desert landscape.
Man wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, quilted vest, shorts, and hiking shoes walks through a dry desert landscape.
Open red desert plain with sparse scrub vegetation beneath a blue sky and a visible daytime moon
Solar-powered race car with large photovoltaic panels and a team member outdoors under a clear blue sky
Team members maneuver a solar-powered race car through a dry grassy field under a clear blue sky.
Group of people in high-visibility safety vests gathered around a vehicle on a sunlit desert dirt road
Team members in neon safety vests gather around a solar race car in a desert landscape.
Empty paved road curving through a vast arid desert landscape under a clear blue sky
Winding paved road through a barren volcanic landscape with dry golden grass under an overcast sky
Long human shadow cast across a gravel roadside in a dry desert landscape
Empty paved road curving through a flat, dry desert landscape with sparse grass and shrubs
Bright gibbous moon visible in a pale blue daytime sky
Man standing beside a silver SUV with the driver’s door open in a desert landscape at dusk beneath a bright moon
People prepare a large white hot-air balloon for launch at sunrise in a desert landscape.
Silhouette of a person wearing glasses against a colorful sunset and mountain landscape
Silhouette of a photographer with a camera photographing mountains at sunset
Person standing on a dirt path in a desert landscape beneath a bright moonlit, star-filled night sky
Person standing in a grassy field beneath a star-filled night sky
Solar-powered race car camped beneath a starry night sky, surrounded by tents, trailers, and camping equipment
Solar-powered race car and support vehicles camping in the desert beneath a starry night sky
Off-road support trucks with rooftop tents camp beneath a star-filled night sky in the desert.
Person walking alone down an empty desert highway beneath a star-filled night sky
Person standing on an empty desert highway beneath a bright moon and star-filled night sky
Person gazing at a star-filled night sky in a desert landscape
Silhouetted person operating a robotic rover in a dry grassland at sunset
Yellow autonomous race car numbered 46 with an Axalent logo and a person in a high-visibility vest beside it
Team members assemble a lightweight aircraft with a yellow frame and fabric wings outdoors.
Golden sunset over dry grassland with sunlit prairie grasses and rolling hills
Close-up of a solar-powered race vehicle with sponsor logos on a desert track at sunset
Close-up of a yellow race car cockpit with a digital steering wheel display and roll cage
Black-and-white portrait of a person in a hooded jacket standing on a rocky coastal landscape with parked vehicles.
Person raising a handheld metal spinner toward the sun in an outdoor landscape
Smiling hiker in glasses and a hooded jacket standing before a rugged desert mountain landscape
Close-up of a person holding black round eyeglasses with dusty lenses in bright sunlight
Illuminated Minerals Oval entrance arch at night
White bird flying among thorny tree branches against a clear blue sky
Solar car race in a desert landscape with wind turbines, construction equipment, race officials, and a support SUV.
Solar-powered race car with large photovoltaic panels surrounded by a team of engineers outdoors
Roadside Coober Pedy welcome sign featuring a mining truck and oil pump silhouette in the Australian outback
Upside-down abandoned car in a dry desert landscape
Abandoned overturned car in a dry desert landscape under a clear blue sky
Black-and-white photo of a person photographing their reflection in a vehicle side mirror with a blurred ocean in the background
Black-and-white desert landscape with a lone tree, scrub vegetation, bright sun, and a silhouetted person walking in the background.
Road worker in a high-visibility vest holding a caution flag near traffic cones and animal bones beside a gravel road.
Red sandy desert landscape with low shrubs, dry grasses, and scattered trees beneath a clear blue sky
Arid Australian bushland with rocky ground, native shrubs, a pink grass tree flower, and a person in high-visibility clothing.
Vintage Victoria Bitter beer sign mounted above a building under a clear blue sky
White flatbed pickup truck with a spare tire and red cooler parked beside a silver SUV outside a building
Leafless, twisted tree branches silhouetted against a clear blue sky
Rally support vehicle and person beside a covered race car on a rural road in Australian bushland
Team members in high-visibility vests working on a solar-powered race vehicle outdoors
Australian outback landscape with red soil, eucalyptus trees, desert shrubs, and the moon in a clear blue sky
Moon in a clear blue sky above sunlit treetops
Golden sunset over a grassy field with silhouetted trees
Bare tree branches silhouetted against a blue sky with the moon visible between them
Silhouetted trees and desert shrubs glowing in golden sunset light
People inspect a solar-powered race car in desert scrubland at sunset
Worker in a reflective safety vest sitting on top of a vehicle loaded with covered equipment at sunset
Colorful sunset sky with pink clouds above a dark silhouetted horizon
Person silhouetted beneath eucalyptus trees under a star-filled night sky in the Australian outback
Silhouetted bare tree branches against a starry night sky with a bright moon and blue lens flare
Nighttime campsite with colorful tents, parked vehicles, and a person beneath a large illuminated tree under a starry sky
Campers and rental vehicles gathered at an outback campsite, viewed from inside a tent at sunset.
Film crew and vehicles gathered in a rocky desert landscape beneath a large tree
Shadows of a basketball hoop and backboard cast across a cracked red outdoor court.
Empty outdoor basketball courts with hoops, benches, palm trees, and suburban homes
Close-up of a blue and terracotta sports court with white boundary lines
White cockatoo with a green crest perched on a tree trunk in an Australian woodland
Nighttime landscape with a bright moon, stars, and a large leafless tree silhouetted over rugged scrubland.
Storm clouds over a dry grassland landscape with a lone tree and dirt path at sunset
Ocean pier silhouetted against a dramatic sunset, with waves and seagulls on the beach
Illuminated Ferris wheel on the beach at dusk, with seagulls in the foreground and buildings behind it.
Smiling man wearing glasses and a paisley shirt holds a cocktail at a restaurant
Smiling man wearing round glasses and a paisley shirt, holding a cocktail at a restaurant gathering
Smiling man wearing glasses and a paisley shirt seated at a restaurant table with drinks
Airplane wing overlooking a coastal city, waterways, islands, and clouds from above
People seated trackside at sunset near a fenced motorsports pit lane
Man in a high-visibility vest standing beside a solar-powered race car at an indoor racing event
Solar-powered race car navigating an asphalt course marked with orange traffic cones
Yellow-and-white solar-powered race car labeled JJ Solar Team and number 46 driving on a paved track.
White bird flying over dense wetland vegetation and palm-like plants
Driver wearing a helmet inside an open-wheel race car, with race marshals and traffic cones on the track outside
Streamlined solar-powered race car number 46 outside a racetrack garage
Solar-powered race car with black photovoltaic panels and sponsor logos at the World Solar Challenge
Person standing beside a race car at sunset on a racetrack
Person in a white sports jersey and black shorts standing beside a race car at sunset, looking toward a crescent moon.
Race team members prepare equipment beside a small race car in a garage workshop.
Solar car racing team members work on a streamlined yellow-and-white solar vehicle outside a garage at night.
Man in a white and purple shirt working on a yellow-framed experimental aircraft or vehicle in a dark workshop
Streamlined solar race car number 46 outside pit garages at Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin, Australia
A racer in a safety vest kneels beside a yellow solar-powered race car at an outdoor motorsport event.
Solar-powered race car covered in sponsor logos driving on a road
Crescent moon above a silhouetted eucalyptus tree at dusk
Crowded outdoor evening gathering on a lawn with string lights, people socializing, and sunset sky
Black-and-white nighttime portrait of a shirtless man wearing glasses and shorts at an outdoor poolside lounge with string lights, umbrellas, and lounge chairs.
Three backpacked race team members walk along a fenced motorsport track beneath a Swedish flag.
Solar-powered race car with roof-mounted solar panels speeding on a track
Solar-powered race car number 46 competing on a track
Red Ford Everest SUV driving on a city highway beside a concrete barrier.
Flock of birds flying across a gray sky in black-and-white silhouette
Small yellow race car and black SUV driving on a paved test track with Bridgestone, Darwin, and Larrakia signs
Solar-powered race car driving on a track
Four people in racing team shirts stand on a podium beneath a blue, cloudy sky at the MCB McLaughlin CB event.
Solar-powered race cars compete on a track beside pit garages decorated with flags and event banners.
Darwin Australia finish line for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, with event staff and solar race cars on the roadway
Solar-powered race car with a large roof-mounted solar panel driving on a track
Person holding a blue World Solar Challenge 2023 license plate beside a solar-powered vehicle panel
Teams and volunteers surround solar-powered race cars at a solar challenge event.
Blue solar-powered race car surrounded by people at a solar vehicle competition
Solar-powered race car at the World Solar Challenge in Hidden Valley, Darwin, with spectators nearby
Black-and-white photo of a race car driver seated beside an open-wheel race car marked “SUM A6” at a track.
Smiling solar car team member standing beside a yellow solar-powered race car outside Hidden Valley Darwin.
Team members work on a solar race car numbered 46 outside a garage at Hidden Valley Darwin.
Yellow solar-powered race car displayed outside the Supreme Court building, surrounded by spectators and team members.
Truck driving on a two-lane highway through a dry wooded landscape under a partly cloudy blue sky
People set up a rooftop tent on a Mitsubishi truck at an outdoor campsite.
Smiling man sitting in a rooftop tent with a ladder and camping gear
Man wearing a helmet and glasses seated in a yellow-framed experimental aircraft cockpit while being assisted by a team member
Two people stand beside a solar-powered vehicle with a large solar panel on a rural road.
Solar-powered race car number 46 driving on a rural road through the Australian outback
Person's shadow and hiking shoes on sunlit reddish dirt ground
Participants race around traffic cones on a paved street beside a solar-powered vehicle.
Old white-and-red flatbed truck carrying bundled metal pipes on a rural roadside
Rusty metal windmill standing above dry vegetation under a hazy sky
Abandoned metal windmill tower in a dry field beside a graffiti-covered structure
Weathered metal windmill photographed from below against a gray sky
Solar car team member in a numbered jersey securing racing tires and equipment on a trailer.
Man in a JU Solar Team shirt fueling a white pickup truck marked 46 with diesel.
Close-up of a person assembling electronics by connecting wires inside a computer case.
Man wearing a headlamp and white shirt working on electronic equipment in a dark workshop
Man wearing a headlamp and reflective safety vest works inside a large sailboat or racing vessel.
Moonlit rocky landscape with rounded boulders, shrubs, grass, stars, and wispy clouds in the night sky
Silhouetted person standing on a large boulder beneath a bright moon and starry night sky
Person standing atop a large boulder under a bright moon and starry night sky
Hiker sitting on a large boulder beneath a star-filled night sky
Close-up of a slender green stick insect with long legs on a white surface
Tall golden grass silhouetted against a warm sunset in a field
Line of heavy trucks, including a Kenworth road train hauling a tanker trailer, on an Australian highway.
White Kenworth road train truck hauling a tanker trailer on an Australian highway at sunset
Crested pigeon standing on a gravel road near wooden fence posts
A bird flying against a plain gray sky.
Father and four children pose beside a sponsor-covered solar race car in a dry field.
Solar-powered race car marked 46 on display beside a rural road, with spectators and a race official watching
Yellow and white solar-powered race car number 46 driving on a rural road
Roadside signs for Barrow Creek Hotel and Historic Overland Telegraph Station in the Australian outback
Cars traveling along a two-lane highway through fire-scorched countryside with low rocky hills and a curve warning sign.
Jönköping University solar race car with rooftop solar panels driving through an Australian landscape
Clipboard with a handwritten travel log and printed road-trip checklist for the Stuart Highway, showing locations near Ti Tree and Alice Springs.
Hertz flatbed truck carrying camping gear on a rural highway through dry Australian bushland
Large statue atop a rocky, arid hill surrounded by eucalyptus trees and dry grass
Team members push a solar-powered race car across a dry field during a solar challenge.
Man in a yellow shirt standing beside a solar-powered race car marked Swedish Solar Team.
Black-and-white photo of a crow perched on a large wire globe sculpture above desert trees
Man standing beside a large wire globe sculpture at an outdoor park memorial.
Three workers in high-visibility vests stand beside a rural road surrounded by dry grass and eucalyptus trees.
Three men sit inside a vehicle equipped with cameras, wires, and electronic equipment.
Golden meadow filled with white wildflowers in warm sunlight
Two birds flying against a cloudy sky
Three workers in high-visibility vests stand beside a striped road barrier in a sunlit rural landscape.
Moon partially obscured by blue haze in a clear blue sky
Sunlit cumulus clouds glowing against a deep blue sky
Orange sunset over a silhouetted tree line with scattered clouds and a glowing sun near the horizon
Man taking a selfie at an outdoor rally camp with a trailer, caravan, tents, and support crew beneath storm clouds
Dramatic storm clouds glowing at sunset over a dry, red-earth landscape with a lone tree and desert shrubs.
Lone tree in a dry scrubland beneath dramatic sunset clouds
Illuminated Maui motorhome parked in a desert landscape during a thunderstorm, with lightning striking beneath dark storm clouds
White Maui camper van parked in the desert beneath dramatic lightning and storm clouds, with a rainbow in the distance.
Solar-powered race car being serviced beside a support truck during a lightning storm at dusk
Three cattle with blue ear tags standing outdoors, including a white cow in the foreground and a brown horned cow.
Solar-powered race cars competing on a downtown city street lined with trees, buildings, traffic lights, and spectators.
Solar-powered racing cars line up on an Adelaide city street beside a bus stop during a solar car race.
Teams gather around solar-powered race cars at an outdoor solar car competition.
Panoramic desert landscape with rugged mountains, sagebrush, railroad tracks, and a clear blue sky
Black-and-white landscape with three wind turbines on rolling agricultural hills
Solar car team members in safety vests inspecting a vehicle with roof-mounted solar panels outdoors
Freestyle athlete performing a flip above a fountain in a city square
Colorful rainbow lorikeet perched on the textured trunk of a palm tree
Busy Adelaide city street with modern office buildings, construction crane, pedestrians, flags, traffic lights, and a white sedan
Ornate red and gold Chinese gate marking a city Chinatown entrance, with traditional roof details, Chinese characters, trees, pedestrians, and an urban street beyond.
Narrow paved alley between brick industrial buildings with barred windows, bright yellow accents, and blue sky
Outdoor meal on grass with a vintage Praktica camera, orange drink, and bowl of noodles, fried chicken, and vegetables
Crowded outdoor festival with colorful lanterns, live music stage, and city skyscrapers in the background
Sunset view of Adelaide Convention Centre beside the River Torrens, with pedestrians on the waterfront promenade
Twin Gothic church spires with crosses rising above trees at sunset
Large orange hospital parking garage on a city street at sunset, with cars, motorcycles, traffic lights, and surrounding buildings.
Two colorful rainbow lorikeets perched on a branch in a eucalyptus forest
Two colorful rainbow lorikeets perched on a branch in a eucalyptus forest.
Koala perched in a eucalyptus tree with blurred foliage in the background
Koala resting on a eucalyptus tree branch
Rocky forest creek with eucalyptus trees, purple wildflowers, and a winding hiking trail
Golden sunlight filters through misty, forested mountain valleys at sunrise.
Silhouetted bird perched on a eucalyptus tree branch against a bright sky
Two deer silhouetted in tall grass beneath a clear blue sky
Green park bench beneath broad-canopied trees on a grassy hill, with a dirt path and clear blue sky
Panoramic city view from Long Ridge Lookout, with a trail sign, eucalyptus branches, and rocky hillside in the foreground.
Kangaroo standing in a sunlit grassy field with a blurred city skyline in the background
Person sitting on a green bench beneath large trees atop a grassy hill
Sunlit meadow filled with purple wildflowers and tall grasses
Two pigeons resting in a sunlit grassy meadow at golden hour
Silhouettes of two kangaroos moving through a sunlit grassy field.
Two kangaroos grazing in a grassy field surrounded by trees
Kangaroo silhouetted in a sunlit field of tall grass
Kangaroo standing in a grassy field with a blurred mountain landscape in the background
Kangaroo standing in a wildflower-covered hillside overlooking a city
Yellow-crested cockatoo perched on a bare tree branch against a blue sky
Kangaroo standing in sunlit grassland with wooded mountains in the background