On March 23,2026, LONGi announced its partnership with Innoptus Solar Team, Belgium’s leading solar racing team, providing its high-efficiency Back Contact (BC) technology and flexible photovoltaic solutions to support the team’s 11th-generation solar race car, “Infinite Apollo,” as it competes in the American Solar Challenge (ASC) this summer. The new car was officially unveiled at an innovation launch event held in Belgium.
The unveiling of the new car marks a critical milestone for the team, transitioning from the vehicle assembly phase to the testing and validation stage after 10 months of research and development. Over the coming weeks, the Innoptus Solar Team will conduct thousands of kilometers of on-road testing across Belgium to comprehensively evaluate the vehicle's performance under long-distance and complex road conditions, laying a solid foundation for preparing for what is set to be the longest and most challenging solar race in the team’s history.
At the launch event on March 23,2026, Innoptus Solar Team provided a comprehensive overview across multiple dimensions, including the race route, competition strategy, and technological innovations. This year’s American Solar Challenge route traverses the heart of the United States, starting from the Mississippi River and passing through the scenic Great River Road and the iconic Route 66, offering both technical difficulty and visual appeal. According to the race schedule, the team must first pass a three-day qualifying round at the Brainerd International Raceway to secure a spot in the main event.
In response to the technical challenges presented by the new race regulations, Innoptus Solar Team has comprehensively upgraded the vehicle’s core systems, encompassing high-performance solar modules, an advanced battery system, and the signature dual-fin aerodynamic design. As a partner, LONGi has once again engaged in deep collaborative development, continuously optimizing its BC technology products to support comprehensive improvements in the vehicle’s overall system performance.
As early as 2025, LONGi served as the exclusive photovoltaic partner for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC), leveraging its advanced BC technology and flexible photovoltaic solutions to help the team achieve dual breakthroughs in power generation efficiency and reliability under extreme conditions. It is precisely based on the high level of mutual trust and technical synergy established during that time that both parties have been able to deepen their collaboration this year, integrating cutting-edge photovoltaic technology with extreme engineering applications to continue exploring the possibilities of clean energy utilization. This collaborative model has gradually become a new paradigm for industry-academia integration, drawing widespread attention both within and beyond the industry.In response to the technical challenges presented by the new race regulations, Innoptus Solar Team has comprehensively upgraded the vehicle’s core systems, encompassing high-performance solar modules, an advanced battery system, and the signature dual-fin aerodynamic design. As a partner, LONGi has once again engaged in deep collaborative development, continuously optimizing its BC technology products to support comprehensive improvements in the vehicle’s overall system performance.
As early as 2025, LONGi served as the exclusive photovoltaic partner for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC), leveraging its advanced BC technology and flexible photovoltaic solutions to help the team achieve dual breakthroughs in power generation efficiency and reliability under extreme conditions. It is precisely based on the high level of mutual trust and technical synergy established during that time that both parties have been able to deepen their collaboration this year, integrating cutting-edge photovoltaic technology with extreme engineering applications to continue exploring the possibilities of clean energy utilization. This collaborative model has gradually become a new paradigm for industry-academia integration, drawing widespread attention both within and beyond the industry.
About LONGi
Founded in 2000, LONGi (Stock code: 601012. SH) is committed to being the world's leading solar technology company, focusing on customer-driven value creation for full scenario energy transformation.
Under its mission of 'making the best of solar energy to build a green world', LONGi has dedicated itself to technology innovation and established several business sectors, covering mono silicon wafers, cells and modules, commercial & industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions, building integrated photovoltaic and hydrogen equipment. As an international company, LONGi's business covers more than 160 countries and regions. Actively practicing its "Solar for Solar" concept, LONGi is accelerating the global transition to sustainable energy and promoting energy equity, enabling more people around the world to access affordable clean energy.
More details here: www.longi.com/