In an emotional and inspiring launch event in July, the student-led Western Sydney Solar Team unveiled their newest creation — Unlimited 6.0 — a cutting-edge solar-powered race car developed to take on the world’s top universities at the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
This marks the seventh generation of solar cars developed by the university, and it’s already turning heads. Unlimited 6.0 isn’t just a feat of engineering — it’s the culmination of 18 months of relentless dedication, late nights, missed family events and unwavering passion from a group of over 25 university students spanning engineering, design, computer science, communications and business.
A Car That Carries a Legacy
Western Sydney was the only Australian team to finish the 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, placing ninth globally in a field of 42. That effort, captured in a documentary to premiere this September, highlighted not only technical excellence but also team spirit, grit and leadership — qualities that continue to shine in the 2025 team.
“This is the ultimate team challenge,” said Vice Chancellor and President, Distinguished Professor George Williams. “And for us, it symbolises what we stand for: sustainability, boldness and a commitment to preparing our students for real-world impact.”
From humble beginnings — four students and a $500 budget — the team has evolved into a world-class program. Unlimited 6.0 is the most sophisticated and ambitious vehicle they’ve built yet.
Rewriting the Rulebook, Rebuilding the Car
The 2025 race comes with the most dramatic regulation changes in the event’s history. Organisers slashed the battery capacity to just 3kWh (enough to drive a regular EV 15–25km), while also increasing the permitted solar array size to 6m² and moving the race to August — Australia’s winter, when sunlight is 20% less than previous events.
“These changes hit us hard,” said Andrew Grima, Technical Project Manager and a five-year veteran of the solar car team. “But we turned that into motivation. We built the most advanced solar car this university has ever seen — from the ground up.”
Unlimited 6.0 features:
- Rear-wheel monohull aerodynamic body refined with help from former F1 aerodynamicists.
- A custom-built lithium iron phosphate battery designed for safety and stability in the harsh Outback.
- Carbon-fibre chassis engineered in-house to be 12kg lighter than the previous car, despite being 25% larger.
- Advanced suspension systems tailored for Bridgestone’s ultra-low rolling resistance tyres.
- Dynamic aerodynamic wheel fairings that automatically adjust at speed or during turns to maintain performance and safety.
- Real-time telemetry and strategy systems that allow the team to analyse and respond to weather and road conditions live.
Every component was designed, fabricated and tested by the students — often late into the night, fuelled by passion and purpose.
More Than a Car — A Launchpad for Careers
While the car is impressive, the program’s long-term value is in its people.
“We’re not just building solar cars, we’re building careers and future enterprises,” said Distinguished Professor Brian Falzon, Executive Dean of the School of Engineering. Two alumni have gone on to found companies in aerospace and satellite technologies, and many more are working for leading tech firms after graduating from the program.
The university’s investment in its students has paid off — not just in rankings (Western Sydney was recently named the number one university globally for impact), but in community and industry connections.
“This is proof that when a university believes in student ideas, incredible things happen,” said Kim Dao from the Partnerships Team.
Built by Heart, Powered by the Sun
Team Manager Ruairi Milligan captured the essence of the project when he said, “This is a passion target — two years of missed events, sacrificed study time and endless hours in the workshop. But none of us would change it for the world.”
With no financial prize in the World Solar Challenge, the motivation is purely passion and pride. As Ruairi put it: “It’s about what’s up here (pointing to his head) and more importantly, what’s in here (pointing to his heart).”
Unlimited 6.0 drove onto the stage under its own solar power at the launch event — a proud and symbolic moment that summed up everything this team has achieved.
Looking Ahead
In August, the team will begin the journey from Sydney to Darwin, and then race 3,000 km through the Australian outback to Adelaide. They’ll be away from home comforts, navigating challenging terrain, competing against the best from other global engineering powerhouses.
But they’re not daunted.
As Grima said, “Unlimited 6.0 is faster, smarter, stronger — and, yes, better looking — than anything we’ve built before. We’re not just racing to compete. We’re racing to win.”
For Fleet News Group readers
Western Sydney’s Solar Car Team offers a compelling example of how Australia’s next generation of engineers and innovators are pushing boundaries in zero-emission transport. Their vehicle design, advanced energy systems and telemetry technologies mirror many of the same challenges Fleet Managers face when transitioning to EVs — except these students are solving them under race conditions, with limited budgets and tighter timelines.
They’re not just building a solar car — they’re proving what’s possible when ambition meets opportunity.
