RS Ireland provides valuable supply chain support as student team builds Ireland’s first solar-powered electric racing car
Dublin, 17 September 2026 – A student-led team from DCU has built Ireland’s first solar-powered racing car and is preparing to compete in the iLumen European Solar Challenge (iESC), the largest solar race in Europe.
Founded in 2022, DCU Solar Racing has spent four years designing a world-class electric solar race car to participate in this year’s iESC, which takes place at Belgium’s Circuit Zolder (19-20 September). The team has the support of a range of industry partners including components supplier RS Ireland, which has been providing supply chain and technical support.
In the past four years, DCU Solar Racing has grown from seven engineering students to around 30 members with mechanical, electrical, software, business, aerodynamics and operations backgrounds. The team completed its first prototype in 2024 and has been testing the final race-ready car – a 6m, single seat bullet model – ahead of making their grand debut at the iESC this week.
Abul Hasan, Business Lead with DCU Solar Racing, said: “We’ve definitely come a long way since the original idea and we’ve learned a lot about building reliable systems, a fast car and a sustainable team culture.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be competing on the world stage with Ireland’s first solar powered racing car and we can’t wait to push the boundaries of efficiency and reliability in Belgium.”
This year will be the 10th edition of the iLumen European Solar Challenge, which began in 2010 and takes place every two years. A total of 30 university teams from around the world – as well as engineers and supporters – will be taking part in the 24-hour endurance race.
This year’s iESC is the first of two international endurance events for DCU Solar Racing’s first campaign. The team is also setting its sights on next year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia; a gruelling 3,000km trans-continental endurance race through the Australian outback which is the world’s leading solar racing event.
“We’re excited to compete in our first race in the iESC, then looking to take on the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia,” said Daire Madden, Business and PR with the DCU team. “We’ve gone through an extensive testing period and are looking forward to showing what we can achieve on the racetrack.
“I think the journey we’ve been on and everything we’ve accomplished up to now has highlighted the importance of industry partnerships,” said Daire. “Reaching out to partners and building a support network throughout Ireland has been a massive part of getting us to where we are today.”
RS provides supply chain support to DCU team
One of DCU Solar Racing’s main partners is RS Ireland, which has provided the team with supply chain support and technical assistance during the critical building and testing phases.
“RS is already a key supplier to DCU so when we met the solar racing team, it was a good fit for us in terms of the way we could support them and introduce them to other potential suppliers and partners,” said Alistair Quaye, Commercial Development Team Leader with RS Ireland.
“The team puts in an order for components and other parts pretty much on a weekly basis. It can be anything from batteries to electrical components depending on what’s needed or what has broken down! And because they are in the Dublin area – inside the M50 – we can usually deliver that same afternoon, which can make a big difference when you’re in the middle of a testing session.”
The relationship also includes technical advice and support, with members of the DCU team able to consult with RS, to make sure they are ordering the right component.
“A reliable supply chain is one of our biggest assets and that’s where the partnership with RS has been so valuable,” said Abul Hasan.
“We always get the right parts and the right technical advice from Alistair and his team, which gives us the confidence to keep pushing in terms of getting the most out of the car. Plus, we know that if we need a component in a hurry, we can reach out to RS and they’ll get it to us, whether we’re testing in Ireland, racing in Belgium or even Australia!”
