Solar-powered motorhome was designed by students

A solar-powered motorhome, shaped like a huge elongated teardrop, silently rolled into Madrid on June 3, 2022 as part of a month-long journey from the Netherlands to southern Spain to highlight more sustainable modes of transport. Engineering students at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands created the blue and white vehicle, named Stella Vita - Latin for "star" and "life" - to inspire car makers and politicians to accelerate the transition toward green energy. Expansive solar panels on the roof and on lateral wings that unfold when the vehicle stops allow the self-sustaining house on wheels, or SHOW, to travel up to 740 km (460 miles) on a sunny day, while the battery can also power a fridge, coffee maker and laptop in the two-person cabin. "Of course when there is no sun we have a small problem but we designed the car to charge it on the electrical grid as well," said Lotte Van Dasler, a 23-year old biomedical engineering student who has spent the last year working on the project.