Solar EV Innovation in Motion: Stella Era Wins with MEAN WELL DBU Chargers

Project Overview

Solar Team Eindhoven from the Netherlands participated in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) — the world’s most prestigious solar vehicle competition — with their latest solar-powered family car, Stella Era. The challenge spans 3,000 km across Australia, demanding ultra-efficient, lightweight, and intelligent solar vehicle design.

To ensure rapid and efficient charging between race segments, the Stella Era was equipped with three MEAN WELL DBU-3200 chargers, delivering up to 9.6 kW combined output. The chargers featured CAN Bus communication, enabling real-time control over charging parameters, tailored to the race’s demanding logistics and energy constraints.

MEAN WELL’s Impact

MEAN WELL’s contribution went beyond hardware — its engineering team worked closely with Solar Team Eindhoven to ensure the chargers were optimized to meet BWSC regulations. The system was praised for its efficiency, lightweight form factor, and seamless CAN Bus integration, which proved critical during the six-day endurance race.

“We could not have done it without MEAN WELL. The balance of efficiency, light weight, and controllability performed exactly what we were looking for.”
— Daniel Stekelenburg, System Architect, Solar Team Eindhoven

The result: Stella Era won first place in the Cruiser Class, validating the collaborative success between MEAN WELL’s technical expertise and the innovation of young engineers shaping future transportation.

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