App State Students Win Solar Car Race Across America

Appalachian State University's Team Sunergy just made history by racing a solar-powered car across America and winning their second national championship.

The student team drove their handmade vehicle, nicknamed Autumn, 1,830 miles from Minneapolis to Amarillo, Texas, in eight days during the 2026 Electrek American Solar Challenge. They became the only team ever to capture first place twice in the competition's two-person vehicle category.

The victory came after five years of design, construction, and countless setbacks. Autumn is a 660-pound carbon fiber cruiser that's 40% lighter and 60% more aerodynamic than the team's previous champion car, ROSE, which won in 2021.

But the road to victory was far from smooth. During qualifying races, Autumn's battery overcharged and died at the starting line, leaving the team scrambling for hours while competitors sped ahead. Four of the nine teams couldn't even get their vehicles to pass initial safety inspections.

Team Sunergy had to sprint through final inspection stations before time ran out, troubleshooting brake issues and tire pressure on the fly. Once on the cross-country route along Highway 66, they had to learn their new battery system's quirks in real time, adjusting strategy mile by mile.

The Ripple Effect

The team's persistence paid off with near-perfect scores. Autumn averaged 31.7 mph and earned 92.7 out of 100 total points. The vehicle also won the Practicality Award for being most comparable to a standard production car, proving that solar technology can work for everyday drivers.

"The perseverance, determination and Appalachian grit that this team demonstrated are what won us the race," said advisor Jim Dees. Team member Aidan Jogodka, a senior political science major, put it simply: "A lot of us have spent our entire college careers working on the car. At no point was giving up an option."

The victory showcases how student innovation can push sustainable technology forward. What started as a classroom project became a real-world test of clean energy's potential to replace fossil fuels in transportation.

These college students just proved that the future of sustainable driving isn't decades away—it's already crossing finish lines.