The 2026 Elektrek American Solar Challenge (ASC) recently concluded. As one of the most prestigious events in global solar racing, the ASC is renowned for its grueling distance, complex road conditions, and highly variable climate—an ultimate test of a solar car’s energy system, aerodynamic design, and team strategy. This year’s edition attracted more than 20 top-tier teams from across the globe, making the competition exceptionally fierce.
The race started from Minnesota on July 25 (local time) and followed historic Route 66 southward to the finish line in Texas. Unlike traditional speed races, the ASC ranks competitors by total distance covered over eight days. The route cuts through plains, hills, and deserts, spanning multiple climate zones where dramatic swings in temperature and sunlight place extreme demands on energy management, strategic planning, and system reliability. In such a punishing format, simply completing the race is an achievement; contending for the top demands near-flawless execution in every detail.
After an eight-day, cross-continent endurance battle, the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team and the Dutch Delft Solar Team—both powered by LONGi BC technology—broke clear of a field of over 20 rivals to clinch the champion and runner-up titles.
The Innoptus Solar Team captured the championship with a total distance of 4,298.9 kilometers, making history as the first European team ever to win the ASC. Since the event’s inception, no European squad had claimed the title, marking a major milestone. The Delft Solar Team took second place with 4,080.5 kilometers.
The two teams ran different configurations of LONGi BC solutions: the winning car relied on customized, high-efficiency LONGi BC flexible modules, while the runner-up deployed LONGi high-efficiency BC cells. Both solutions delivered stable energy output and outstanding conversion efficiency under the extreme racing conditions, supplying reliable power in versatile forms throughout the challenge.
This marks LONGi’s second consecutive year of deep engagement in the world’s elite solar racing ecosystem. In 2025, LONGi began its partnership with the Innoptus Solar Team at the World Solar Challenge. In 2026, the collaboration expanded significantly, with LONGi serving as the core technology partner for both the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team and the Dutch Delft Solar Team. Both teams finished among the top three at the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) and were the only two European entries in this year’s ASC. From sprint to endurance races, and from backing a single team to dual-line support, LONGi’s involvement in solar racing continues to grow, and its BC technology has become the common choice of top-caliber teams confronting extreme challenges.
In solar racing, LONGi's partnership with the teams has always centered on technological co-collaboration. With extremely limited rooftop space within 6 square meters, a solar array must deliver maximum conversion efficiency while remaining lightweight, flexible enough for curved surfaces, and robust over long-distance endurance—each requirement far more demanding than typical applications. The customized flexible modules for the Belgian team and the high-efficiency cell for the Dutch team represent differentiated solutions that LONGi BC technology provides for distinct technical paths and vehicle designs. That two world-class teams independently turned to LONGi amounts to a rigorous validation of LONGi BC technology’s conversion efficiency, product stability, and adaptability across diverse scenarios.
For LONGi, the ASC is both a testing ground and a starting point for continuous breakthroughs. Validating BC product performance in real, unforgiving extreme conditions, and joining forces with top global innovators to expand the boundaries of solar energy applications—that is the core purpose of LONGi’s deep integration into the solar racing ecosystem.
About LONGi
As a global leader in green energy technology, LONGi drives innovation across solar, energy storage, and hydrogen—three core pillars of a fully integrated clean energy system. We deliver safe, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions to customers worldwide. Committed to sustainable development, LONGi works to make clean energy accessible and affordable for all. By seamlessly connecting green power generation, energy storage, and hydrogen production, we enable end-to-end clean energy coverage—from generation and storage to consumption—building a truly inclusive and accessible clean energy ecosystem.
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