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Solar Car Challenge Event Update 2025-3

Team Scrapbook Guidelines

Rule 3.9: Scrapbook – As evidence that solar cars are designed and constructed by high school students, teams must maintain a scrapbook showing students working on all phases of the solar car project — including planning, design, CAD, fundraising, building, and testing.

Teams must submit:

  1. The digital copy must be in PDF format so multiple judges can easily access it. Google documents will not be accepted.
  2. The Scrapbook will be divided into two sections:
    • Section One: Students working on all phases of the project — planning, design, CAD, fundraising, building, testing.
    • Section Two: Students’ design and engineering decisions, documented with narrative and photographs. Engineering decision-making is the cornerstone of the project. Explain engineering challenges and how they were resolved.
      Judges understand decisions are often limited by budget, resources, and construction time — explain these in your scrapbook and during your oral presentation.
  3. The digital Scrapbook becomes the property of the Solar Car Challenge Foundation and part of your official team documentation.

Liability Insurance

Rule 8.8 – Teams must provide liability insurance for solar cars.
A certificate of insurance is due June 1, 2025 — email to marks@solarcarchallenge.org (opens in new tab).

  • Contact local insurers or your school’s business office. Some districts may include your solar car under an umbrella vehicle policy.
  • Alternatively, teams have worked with the Frederickson Insurance Agency (Dallas) to secure general liability insurance.
    The Philadelphia Insurance Company offers special event coverage again this year:
    • Premium: $300 per team
    • No application needed — provide:
      1. Team/School name
      2. Mailing/billing address
      3. Contact person, phone, email
      4. Number of solar cars
      5. Number of drivers
    • Policy covers:
      • Temporary license plate
      • General liability while at Texas Motor Speedway
    • Excludes:
      • First/third party bodily injury or property damage from operating your solar car or other autos
    • Contact: Melinda Carey at Frederickson Agency (melinda@fredandfred.com (opens in new tab))
      The Solar Car Challenge receives no benefit from use of the Frederickson Agency.

Team Video Presentation Guidelines

Rule 3.10: Video Presentation – Teams must prepare a video presentation describing their solar car project.

  • Length: Up to 8 minutes
  • Judging factors:
    • Full statement of project and engineering decisions
    • Participation from all team members
    • Preparation and rehearsal
    • Speaking without notes
    • Use of visual aids
    • Quality of digital scrapbook
  • Points: Up to 25 miles awarded for combined video, oral presentation, scrapbook, and registration packet (penalties during the event will not affect these points). Awarded after passing Scrutineering.
  • Deadline: July 1, 2025 — email to video@solarcarchallenge.org (opens in new tab) in mp4 format.

Grading Criteria

a. Did the video present the full project?
b. Were engineering decisions explained? (e.g., battery placement, array design)
c. Was documentation provided for engineering decisions?
d. Did all team members participate?
e. Was the presentation prepared and rehearsed?
f. Did the team speak without notes?
g. Were visual aids used?
h. Was the video in mp4 format?

Video Guidelines

  • Video should be an uninterrupted recording of the team’s oral presentation, as if in front of a live judging panel.
  • Multimedia may be used if it would be part of a live presentation.
  • No professional editing or visual effects — these will result in point deductions.

Oral Presentation During Scrutineering – New!

  1. Teams will have at least 5 minutes to discuss their project with judges.
  2. Led by the Team Captain (advisors/mentors may not attend).
  3. Questions may cover:
    • Engineering decisions
    • Construction issues & solutions
    • Adherence to production schedule
    • Team management
    • CAD drawings
  4. Recommended: Bring a copy of your registration packet.
  5. Oral Presentation time slot assigned during Team Check-In.