Rationale: why a solar vehicle rally?

The sun radiates power at an incredible rate of 3.8 x 10 E 26 Watts (380 miillions of millions of terawatts). It has been so for ages and it will go on for a much longer time than what we can estimate for other energy sources. Only an infinitesimal part of it is enough for all the life on Earth. Our planet is our solar energy collector.

Man has harnessed solar energy since the beginning of civilization. After a period when it has been left aside in "developed" countries, now comes the time of its rediscovery.
Our goal as organizers of this solar vehicle rally (ENSEEIHT, Phebus Ariege, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Cité de l'espace) is to take an active role in the quality of the environment. Among other activities, we created this yearly event in 2000.

By this European solar rally, we wish to offer a better understanding of what is at stake and what can be done at present and on an everyday basis concerning the use of solar energy for transportation. We do this through a festive, real size and real life demonstration, involving teams from many countries. We also wish to help create new vocations, initiating a technological challenge in the wide and wild research fields of solar energy and vehicle technology.

In 2000, our first Rally linked Mirepoix and Toulouse, in 2001 it started from Font Romeu in the French Pyrenees, in 2002 from Mont-Louis, also in the French Pyrenees, in 2004 from Puigcerda in Spain, in 2005 from Figueras and in 2006 from Girona (Spain) to the city of Toulouse (France).

This rally takes place thanks to funding offered by :


Go to the "Phebus Ariege"'s website :