How to Get Involved

2005 Entrants

2004 Results

2005 Sponsors

2004 Photo Essay

2004 Rules

Press Room

Previous Tour de Sols

Green Car Club

Advanced Vehicles on the Market

The Tour de Sol Competition offers students, individuals, and corporations an opportunity to push the envelope of automotive technology.

"We need to get off oil, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and use renewable fuels. The Tour de Sol is the only competition in the country that is helping us get to that goal," says Dr. Mike Seal of Western Washington University, a long-time participant in the Tour de Sol.

Above, Nancy Hazard of NESEA hands Brian Warner of the New York Power Authority an award. NESEA gave NYPA an award for their dedication and success in putting EV and AFV's on NY roads.

Approximately two-dozen student and independent teams competed in the five-day Tour de Sol Competition held May 21-25 in New Jersey and New York. There was a tremendous variety of vehicles participating in the event. Vehicle technologies included gas-electric hybrids, conventional internal combustion engines and hybrids using alternative fuels, battery-electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. Alternative fuels used included biodiesel, biomethane (landfill gas), ethanol, and hydrogen.

Teams participated in two events that quantified the "greenness" of their vehicle, including high fuel economy and low greenhouse gas emissions, as well as events that measured vehicle performance such as acceleration, handling, reliability and range (the distance you can drive before needing to stop to refuel).

The most important prizes are for vehicle efficiency and low greenhouse gas emissions. Vehicle efficiency is expressed in miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). That is, the amount of fuel that has the same amount of energy that is contained in one gallon of gasoline. To calculate greenhouse gas emissions, NESEA works with the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to convert MPGe to grams of greenhouse gas emitted to travel one mile taking the full life cycle of the fuel, from production to wheels, into account. For example, for electric vehicles, the emissions of mining coal and generating electricity in northeast power plants is taken into consideration.

For indepth interviews and technical specifications from Michael Bianchi click here.

Methacton High School (PA) received the grand award for the most efficient light duty vehicle with 136 MPGe in a battery-electric vehicle. This is five times as efficient as a conventional gasoline vehicle. Cato-Meridian High School (MA) received the award for the most efficient one-person commuter vehicle, while Personal Electric Transports, Inc. (PET) received the award for the most efficient vehicle overall with its electric Road Ski stand-up scooter. This demonstrates the exceptional efficiency of electric-powered vehicles, and that the smaller and lighter the vehicle the more efficient it becomes. Efficiency Report (*.pdf)

The grand award for the light-duty vehicle with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions was awarded to the Western Washington University’s Viking 23. This vehicle demonstrated that it could travel a mile and emit only 61 grams of greenhouse gas emissions. This is seven times less than a conventional 27-mpg gasoline vehicle that emits 420 grams of greenhouse gas emissions per mile, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Greenhouse Gas Report (*.pdf)

PET received the award for the lowest greenhouse gas emissions vehicle overall with its electric Road Ski, which emits 30 grams of greenhouse gas emissions per mile.

Student teams also received "Best in Technology" awards. These awards take high fuel economy and low greenhouse gas emissions into account, but also reward good acceleration, handling, reliability, and range. Central Trenton High School (NJ) took first place in the Hybrid and Alternative Fuel category.

Sterling College (VT) received a cash prize from the National Biodiesel Board as the best vehicle using commercially-produced biodiesel fuel. Methacton High School took first place in the Battery-Electric Vehicle category and received a cash award from the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium. The team used an Eagle Picher lead acid battery.

In the Solar-Electric Vehicle category, the University of Maine took first place with its two-person vehicle, while Cato-Meridian High School took first place for its one-person vehicle.

In the Hydrogen Vehicle Category, the University of Wisconsin at Madison received the award for its vehicle, named Zero Carbon. NESEA also awarded UW its coveted "Technology Innovation" award. This student team received this award for building a vehicle that demonstrates the ultimate goal of the Tour de Sol. At each stopover location, they generated hydrogen from wind and solar which they stored on board in hydrides which ultimately fueled the hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system.

NESEA awarded a second Technology Innovation award to Electrovaya of Canada for developing practical advanced lithium polymer batteries for EV applications.

In the Production Division, Toyota’s Prius captured first place for the third year in a row.

Personal Electric Transports and RunAbout Cycles took top honors in a competition, new to the Tour de Sol this year, for electric bikes and scooters.

Each year, NESEA also gives the Bradford Teacher Award to a person who demonstrates excellence in experiential education by empowering students to seek solutions to environmental challenges, and supporting them in the building of Earth-friendly vehicles. This Year, NESEA gave this award to Dr. Michael Seal for his legendary work with students at Western Washington University’s Vehicle Research Institute, where he has built over thirty advanced vehicles with his students.

"I am incredibly proud of all the teachers, students, and individuals involved in the Tour de Sol," says Nancy Hazard, director of the event. "I’d like to congratulate all of them for their extraordinary effort, ingenuity and vision, and for providing the world not only with inspiration to work together toward a better future, but also concrete examples of how we can get there."

Follow these links for:
Photo gallery of all competing teams with awards listed
Final results with raw data and scores (*.pdf)
The numbers behind the final results:
Accelleration (*.pdf)
Autocross (*.pdf)
Efficiency (*.pdf)
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (*.pdf)
Mileage (*.pdf)
Penalties (*.pdf)
Range events (*.pdf)
Reliability (*.pdf)
Solar data (*.pdf)
Team Assistants (*.pdf)
Technical Testing (*.pdf)
Detailed description of the scoring system and 2004 Rules & Regulations (*.1.1FINAL1.)
Behind the scenes