Team New England is a solar car racing team based in the Boston, Massachusetts area. It is known for its innovative and sometimes controversial approach to solar car racing

Solar car racing

Solar car racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car . The first solar car race was the Tour de Sol in 1985 which led to several similar races in Europe, USA and Australia...

 and heartbreaking losses. The Team New England pioneered the use of folding, stored arrays in solar vehicles, which were technically allowed, but controversial because of their significant advantage to traditional fixed array vehicles. Team New England also began the use of new aerodynamic theories for extremely low drag vehicles which emphasized the effect of frictional drag over traditional parameters Over a decade after they were formed, Team New England members are still considered pioneers and experts in solar car racing and design http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/02/hot-wheels-mi/

History

Team New England (TNE) http://olafbleck.com/tne/tne.html was initially a friendly branch off of from MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team and the UMass Lowell Solar Car team. Initially, it was formed in June 1993 to create a revolutionary entry for the 1993 World Solar Challenge

World Solar Challenge

The World Solar Challenge is a solar-powered car race which covers through the Australian Outback, from Darwin to Adelaide.The race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations although some are fielded by high schools...

 in November. Then, it raced a completely new car in Sunrayce 1995 under the Northern Essex Community College

Northern Essex Community College

Northern Essex Community College is a state-assisted, two-year college, located in Essex County in northeastern Massachusetts...

 banner when both MIT and UMass Lowell had their own entries. Several Boston University

Boston University

Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

 students joined forces in 1995, and subsequently launched their own solar car team. TNE also raced several electric vehicles in the American Tour de Sol including a Solectria Force Solectria Force

Solectria Force

The Solectria Force is a Geo Metro, professionally converted from a new, motorless vehicle to become a battery electric vehicle. Converted by Solectria Corporation of Wilmington, Massachusetts , it is no longer in production. Approximately 400 vehicles were converted...

, a converted 1959 Berkeley Berkeley Cars

Berkeley cars

Berkeley Cars Ltd of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England produced small economical sporting microcars with motorcycle-derived engines from 322 cc to 692 cc and front wheel drive between 1956 and 1960.-History:...

, and a Solectria Super Force (Force with Turtle Trailer)

The team is led by Olaf "Obie" Bleck. Ted "T" Bohn, Andy Haefitz, James Nelson, Spencer Quong, Richard R. Rahders, Richard "Pretty" Shanahan, and Goro Tamai are also active team members.

Races and accomplishments

• 1993: World Solar Challenge with TNE II. Innovated the use of stored solar arrays to dramatically improve efficiency.
• 1994: Mount Washington Climb to the Clouds. TNE II was the New World Record for an Electric Powered Vehicle: 16:10:11.
• 1994: American Tour De Sol - TNE II First place Open Category
• 1995: American Tour De Sol - TNE II Most Efficient Vehicle (Open Category), Third Place Open 3/4 Wheeled
• 1995: Sunrayce 1995. TNE III First Vehicle never to be passed while driving, First vehicle in Sunrayce History to exceed 50MPH average on a leg of the race. Penalties were levied for being "too competitive" which partially contributed to a seventh place finish
• 1995: Pikes Peak Hillclimb
  Pikes Peak International Hillclimb
  The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb , also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile and motorcycle hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, a distance of over 156 turns, climbing from the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway at on grades averaging 7% over...
  
   solar car race to peak - first place. TNE III Most of the competition dropped out when they discovered Team New England was entering
• 1995: Pocono Speedway EV race. First Place, GM's Impact (EV1)
  General Motors EV1
  The General Motors EV1 was an electric car produced and leased by the General Motors Corporation from 1996 to 1999. It was the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric vehicle of the modern era from a major automaker, and the first GM car designed to be an electric vehicle from the...
  
  showed up to the race but dropped out when TNE III was rumored that it might go over 90 mph.
• 1996: World Solar Challenge - Adjunct Team in California raced Pumpkinseed
• 1997: American Tour De Sol - 1959 Berkley EV conversion - Most Efficient Vehicle, all legs of the race.
• 2000: American Tour De Sol - Solectria Super Force - Third Place Battery Electric.
• 2001: American Tour De Sol - Solectria Super Force - First Place Overall