By Pesach Benson • September 29, 2026
Jerusalem, 29 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — An Israeli engineering student team has completed its first 24-hour solar car race in Europe, finishing 14th overall after covering nearly 800 kilometers at the iLumen European Solar Challenge in Belgium.
AFEKA Racing, representing Afeka Academic College of Engineering in Tel Aviv, completed 197 laps in a solar-powered vehicle designed and built by its students. The team was the first Israeli entry in the competition and finished first among the six teams participating for the first time.
The Afeka racing team with its solar-powered vehicle in Belgium. Photo by Afeka College of Engineering/TPS-IL
The race brought together students studying mechanical, electrical, software and industrial engineering, who worked across disciplines to develop the vehicle and prepare it for endurance racing.
The 24-hour competition also tested the students’ ability to address technical problems while the car was on the track. The team encountered communication problems involving the vehicle’s computer system and higher-than-expected tire wear. At one point, students performed a wheel alignment during the race to keep the vehicle running.
“What made me most proud was seeing how the team grew throughout the project,” said Dr. Dan Herman, who leads Afeka’s Auto Club. “At the beginning, I was deeply involved in managing the project and making decisions. Over time, the students took ownership, managed themselves and learned to make those decisions together.”
The solar car project is part of the institution’s broader effort to give engineering students practical experience through multidisciplinary projects and student engineering clubs.
“Engineering education is at its best when students have the opportunity to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to complex, real-world challenges,” said Prof. Yossi Rosenwaks, president of Afeka Academic College of Engineering.
The team is now preparing for a substantially longer test: the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia, scheduled for August 2027. The competition covers roughly 3,000 kilometers between Darwin and Adelaide and is considered one of the leading solar vehicle competitions.
