Our Crowdfunding Groups
We are SolarCar at Virginia Tech, a group of over 50 passionate and dedicated students from diverse disciplines who have come together to compete in the American Solar Challenge, a cross-country race of 1500 - 2000 miles in solar-powered electric vehicles. Our team was established in October 2021 as a revival of Virginia Tech's 1990s solar car team.
We take great pride in our emphasis on teamwork, leadership, and knowledge sharing, which allows us to design and build every aspect of our car, right down to the smallest circuit board all the way to the entire chassis. As a new team, we aspire to set new standards and create a culture of excellence that will continue at the international level in the coming years.
And it all begins with our first car. We need your help to get our car on the road and support advancing green energy and STEM education.
We're thrilled to introduce our "Adopt a Cell" initiative - a unique fundraising campaign that gives you the opportunity to sponsor a solar cell on our solar car! By choosing to adopt a cell, you'll play a significant role in helping us cover the expenses of materials, equipment, testing, and travel for our solar car project. As a proud solar cell parent, you'll also get to name your cell and stay informed about its performance and status. We can't wait to have you on board as a valued sponsor of our solar car team!
Our solar car team's purpose extends beyond competing. We aim to showcase the potential of solar energy as a sustainable and clean source of power for mobility. This summer, our team will participate in the Formula Sun Grand Prix, a 3-day endurance race, and qualifier for the American Solar Challenge. We will race alongside other teams from worldwide who share our enthusiasm and vision.
By sponsoring a cell, you can assist us in accomplishing our objectives; advancing renewable energy technology and education. In addition, you can be a part of our group of supporters and companions who share our vision for a green and sustainable future.
Adopting a Cell Can Be Fun!
We've made adopting a cell fun and easy. As gifts accumulate, team members will complete challenges to engage and excite the community that follows and supports our team. All of these completed challenges will be posted on all of our social media platforms to allow anyone to view them.
Here what you need to know about our milestones:
We need your help in funding the purchase of materials and parts that are directly required to build our car. Our team has spent months refining our designs and your contributions will make it possible for us to build and race.
Expenses include:
With a gift at this level, we'll thank you in a group post on all our social media platforms dedicated to everyone who has supported us with their donations.
On top of a social media shoutout, we will thank you in our monthly newsletter, plus get high-resolution pictures of our car in the competition this coming summer!
*MAIN TIER* Become a part of our car! Have your name written on one of our solar cells. You’ll get the perks from the previous tiers, plus a photo of the solar cell with your name on it, your name on the website, and also know which cell on the car belongs to you
Get a specialized Social Media Shoutout, along with a shoutout on our Monthly Newsletter, and your name sketched onto the team banner that we'll display in our lab for everyone who visits to see! We will also send you a special thank you letter signed by all members of the team. Plus everything in the previous tiers!
Have your name printed on our car. Showcase the impact of your gift to anyone who takes a glance. Your gift will cover the costs for 10 of our members to attend the competition.