The Hopkinson lab was half-drowned in bubblewrap last week as the team put in a gargantuan effort to pack like they had never packed before. No cramming of coathangers into a plastic bag or unfolded clothes piled haphazardly into a rucksack – no, this was the real deal.

Weekends in July and August have been spent on the test track at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre, developing Endeavour into a solar car that not only looks great, but also performs on the road. As well as using the track, we were given the opportunity to test Endeavour in Ford’s Environmental Testing Laboratory, one of only two such facilities in Europe. The car was subjected to 45degC temperatures, Australian sunshine and wind, with both car and driver surviving the test.

The summer’s testing culminated in a press day on Saturday 15th August, where Endeavour was demonstrated to supporters and journalists, including The Sun and Positive TV (see video, below). Endeavour can be spotted on a double page spread in the Sun Motoring section (Friday 21st June).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98BxAWVHvhc]

On Sunday 16th we were delighted to hit a top speed of 54mph, giving us fresh confidence for the Global Green Challenge.

A full press release and photos can be found on our press page.

- Anthony

Last Sunday I was once again at the Ford Test track in Dunton (Essex) (See Poetry in (slow) Motion for the original testing entry).  This time things were going pretty well when I got there, and the radio link, which I spoke of in the last post, was in fact working (the electrical team don’t lie*)!

This week, the issue of driver comfort has finally been forcibly pushed come to the fore of our minds. Thus far, we have had to prioritize survival over comfort – but now that the many cycles of testing and fixing are almost over (at least, in Cambridge), the majority of the mortality issues have been dealt with, and we can get on with keeping our drivers happy as well as alive. 

Last week Endeavour was tested again at Ford’s test track at Dunton (Essex).  The day started off with a bit of slow driving by me – very slow to start with, in fact, since it was the first time I’d ever driven a solar car! I can tell you that I was very excited! And, despite my earlier reservations, the seating position was not all that uncomfortable – though I wasn’t in for four hours, and it wasn’t forty degree heat. Still, it was great fun.