Washington
Solar Car
Sun into speed.
We are the University of Washington's student solar racing team. In 2026 we finished the American Solar Challenge as the top American team in the Single-Occupant Vehicle class.
- American SOV team · ASC 2026
- #1
- SOV class overall
- 4th
- Official race miles
- 1,749.4
- Students
- ~50
The only American team in our class to finish the race.
We finished 4th in the Single-Occupant Vehicle class, behind teams from Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada, and covered 1,749.4 official miles from Minneapolis to Amarillo. Every other American team in the class trailered to a checkpoint.
| 1 | KU Leuven, Belgium |
| 2 | TU Delft, Netherlands |
| 3 | ÉTS Montréal, Canada |
| 4 | Washington Solar Car, USACar #86 · 1,749.4 mi · full base route |
Minneapolis
Amarillo
- Stage 1
787.1mi
To Edwardsville, IL
- Stage 2
411.3mi
To Carthage, MO
- Stage 3
400.4mi
To Elk City, OK
- Stage 4
150.6mi
To Amarillo, TX
Sakura
Sakura, car #86, is our 2026 car and the first we designed from the ground up. It is named for the cherry blossoms on the UW campus.
Full specifications- Solar Array
- 386 cells
- Battery
- 5.25 kWh
- Motor
- 5 kW
- Body
- 3 wheels
Rookie of the Year in 2025.Top American SOV team in 2026.
Founded in 2023, the team raced its first car, Sockeye, at the 2025 Formula Sun Grand Prix and was named Rookie of the Year. A year later, Sakura, our first car designed from the ground up, carried us to the American Solar Challenge.
Our story
Our partners
These companies and organizations provided the funding, equipment and materials that put Sakura on the road.
Put your name on the car.
Partner logos ride the full race route on the car, and partners get direct access to the students building it.
Become a sponsorJoin the team
Applications are open for the Mechanical, Electrical and Business subteams. No experience is required.
Apply