Once again this year, Team Sonnenwagen from Aachen is taking part in the legendary Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia. The race covers 3,022 kilometers across the Australian outback in just seven days – from Darwin to Adelaide. On board: the brand new Covestro Aethon solar car.

The name of the new model says it all: Aethon is one of the four horses that pull the sun chariot of the god Helios across the sky in Greek mythology. The fifth generation of the innovative solar car was ceremoniously presented at the rollout in Das Liebig on May 26, 2025.

If you would like to look behind the scenes, we recommend watching the documentary on YouTube: “World Solar Challenge - German team fights for the world title” Click here for the documentary

You can see the test drives here from minute 1:00 in the video linked on the right. https://www.youtube.com/embed/vnbE7_GDzXU

As the Aldenhoven Testing Center, we have been supporting Team Sonnenwagen in the development and testing of their vehicles since 2017. Our proving ground offers ideal conditions for this - not only for student research projects, but also for start-ups and small and medium-sized companies. Research and development need freedom, practical relevance and real test conditions - and that's exactly what innovative teams find here.

When do you start your challenge?
We will support you whatever the weather - with expertise, state-of-the-art infrastructure and enthusiasm for the mobility of the future.

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