The 2026 Solar Car Challenge comes to Round Rock

The Solar Car Challenge is a premier project-based STEM initiative that inspires high school students to explore science, engineering, and alternative energy by planning, designing, building, racing, and evaluating roadworthy solar cars. Through the Foundation’s Solar Education Program, students receive workshops, curriculum materials, mentoring, and on-site support. To date, the program has engaged more than 85,000 students across 39 states.

Science & Technology Magazine and NBCUniversal named the Solar Car Challenge as one of the top Science & Engineering programs in the country. The Challenge has 261 high school solar car projects in various stages of development in anticipation of an upcoming solar racing event. Teams are located in 39 states, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and China.

High School teams begin preparation for their year-long project during education workshops scheduled in September 2025. Additional workshops, on-site visits, mentor opportunities, and summer camps help propel the projects to success. After qualifying for the 2026 Event, teams have the opportunity to drive the “Cross-Texas” Adventure, a 650-mile challenge reaching from Fort Worth, Texas to Fort Stockton, Texas.

The 2026 Race will feature a new racing division: the Cruiser. This Division features a four-door vehicle with the solar array embedded in the body of the solar car. This brings “realism” to solar car racing! More than twenty-five teams from around the country to race this summer are expected to compete in the event, hosted by Oncor and Lockheed Martin.

They will be stopping in Round Rock on July 20 at the Dell Diamond West Parking lot from 4 – 9 p.m. Come by to support these students, including a team from Stony Point High School!

Contact person: Dr. Lehman Marks, Solar Car Challenge Foundation, 214.587.8489 marks@solarcarchallenge.org

Learn more about the Solar Car Challenge