Fact Sheet

Creation:

The SunDay Challenge was created by the Florida Solar Energy Center in 1991 to promote the use of clean alternative energy transportation technology.

Purpose:

The SunDay Challenge event is an annual educational automotive activity to showcase and demonstrate the latest in alternative fuels technology. The SunDay Challenge Road Rally provides alternatively fueled vehicles that are approved for highway use to demonstrate their innovative automotive solutions to transportation energy and air quality problems through vehicle handling, acceleration, performance and range activities on a set road course.

Theme:

This year’s event focuses on vehicles with electric drives systems as well as alternative fuel vehicles. The event also includes an autocross, vehicle testing, and educational workshop.

Host:

Florida Solar Energy Center, University of Central Florida, Brevard Community College, Florida Electric Auto Association, Florida Institute of Technology, and Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition.

Address:

Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, Florida 32922

Date/Times:

It is a three day event. Saturday; testing and autocross from 10:30 pm to 3 pm. Sunday; road rally from 11 am to 4 pm. Monday; workshop from 9 am to 4:30 pm.

Vehicle Registration Fee:

Participating vehicle registration fee of $20 per vehicle includes entry into the entire event.

Rally Route:

The route begins at the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa and end at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. It leads off from Clearlake Road, then heads south on U.S. 1 stopping a various sites to US 192 in Melbourne, then Babcock street to FIT for a distance of over 40 miles.

Alternative Fuel types:

Electric, natural gas, propane, ethanol, methanol, bio-diesel, bio-mass, hydrogen and solar.

Auto Classes/Description:

Each vehicle will be entered in one of eight classes with a limit of 20 cars per class.

Production Commuter vehicle: an automotive industry mass produced personal vehicle that meets the EPACT and CAAA requirements and is for sale in the open market.
American Commuter Electric Vehicle; an electric or hybrid electric drive vehicle that travels at normal highway speeds with a range over 60 miles and is registered with the state as a car.
Tour de Sol Commuter Vehicle: A one or four-person optimum electric vehicle able to race up to 35+ mph with a range of over 60 miles powered by photovoltaic and another electric resource.
Cross-continental Vehicle: Vehicles designed to travel long distance with electric drives using only photovoltaics for energy.
Formula Lighting Vehicles: Open wheel Indy-style electric drive race car.
Electrathon vehicles: non-highway go-cart size electric vehicles.
Alternative Fuel vehicle: vehicles that use DOE approved alternative fuels.
Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle: Vehicles that have a hybrid electric drive train that can be plugged in for off board charging.
Open Class Vehicles: Vehicles that use an alternative fuel as a major source other than gasoline or diesel that does not meet the other class definitions.

Awards/honors:

Awards and judges' recognition will be presented to the event winners of each class and each activity.

For additional information, contact: Bill Young, Florida Solar Energy Center, at (321) 638-1443.

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