Solar Cars as a Systems Platform: The Role of Electrical Engineering in Next-Generation Mobility

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge highlights how modern vehicles are increasingly defined by electrical and electronic systems rather than purely mechanical design. With Matt’s experience on the Deakin University’s solar car projects as context, this talk explores the key challenges that rely on electrical engineering knowledge. These include efficient solar energy harvesting, battery management and protection, motor control strategies, and real-time energy optimisation over long distances.
The presentation frames these as interconnected system-level problems: how to generate, store, convert, and use energy as efficiently as possible under real-world constraints. The aim is to illustrate how electrical engineering underpins performance, reliability, and sustainability in modern automotive applications, and why these challenges are central to the future of mobility.
Co-sponsored by: Deakin University IEEE Student Branch
Speaker(s): Matt Jennings
Bldg: School of Engineering, KA3.411, 75 Pigdons Rd,, Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 3216, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/557228