'World's greenest campervan' made by TU Eindhoven students reaches southern Spain
Stella Vita ended up covering almost 2,000 kilometres on public roads.
The world's first fully self-sufficient 'house on wheels' - designed and developed by students from Eindhoven University of Technology - will arrive in Tarifa, the southernmost tip of Spain, on Friday. This means that Solar Team Eindhoven has reached the final destination of its tour from the Netherlands to Spain on energy from the sun. The student team organised the trip to show the future of sustainable mobility with their self-built green campervan.
In one and a half years, Solar Team Eindhoven designed and built Stella Vita, as the futuristic-looking vehicle is called. The solar vehicle has a roof that slides up electrically when standing still, giving you a standing height of 2.5 metres. This makes it easy to stand inside to cook, sleep or work. Additional solar panels fold out when the roof is up, doubling the solar surface area to a whopping 17.5 square metres.
When the vehicle is on the road, the roof collapses, giving Stella Vita a teardrop shape that minimises air resistance. The vehicle is made of lightweight materials, making it even more efficient. On a sunny day, the car can travel 730 kilometres without depending on charging stations.
BRUSSELS, PARIS AND MADRID
To demonstrate, test and improve Stella Vita, the students left the Netherlands four weeks ago for a journey of several thousand kilometres through Belgium and France to the southernmost tip of Spain. Solar Team Eindhoven also used the trip to visit the European Parliament, embassies, universities and other locations in Brussels, Paris and Madrid, among others, to raise awareness of their sustainable dreams and mission.
"After all, we believe that the transition to a sustainable future can and must be done faster," says Kjell Revenberg, team manager of Solar Team Eindhoven. "We are five to ten years ahead of the industry to show what is technologically possible. During our trip, we tried to inspire as many people and companies in Europe as possible."
PUBLIC ROAD
Stella Vita ended up covering almost 2,000 kilometres on public roads. The camper had a technical issue at the start of the tour; the power train did not function properly. Therefore, Solar Team Eindhoven transported the vehicle in a trailer during the first stages. Halfway through France, Stella Vita was able to continue its tour without any problems.
During the tour, the house on wheels could count on enormous interest from the local population and various institutions. The international media also liked the project; journalists in more than 40 countries published articles about this special vehicle.
From Thursday to Sunday (21 to 24 October) Stella Vita can be seen on the TU campus during the Dutch Design Week.
THEIR SUSTAINABLE MESSAGE COULD BE HEARD EVERYWHERE
In one and a half years, Solar Team Eindhoven built a self-sufficient house on wheels with which they travelled to the Spanish south coast in four weeks. The vehicle attracted enormous interest. We drove with the group from Zaragoza to Madrid. About twelve-hour shifts, the sense of belonging and the sustainable mission. "I'm expecting a call from Elon Musk soon".
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