DCU Solar Racing Brings Ireland's First Solar Car to Auto Trade EXPO 2026
Less than a month after crossing the finish line at Circuit Zolder, our solar car was back in the spotlight. On Saturday 10 October, DCU Solar Racing joined the Auto Trade EXPO 2026 at RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin. It is one of the biggest gatherings of Ireland's automotive and transport aftermarket, and runs every two years.
Team members Daire Madden and Rían Gill with Beta Tools Country Manager, Mark Pearson and Ireland Sales Manager Peter Walsh, Beta Tools UK & Ireland.
From Zolder to Dublin
In September, our team competed in the iLumen European Solar Challenge, the world's only 24-hour endurance race for solar-powered cars. We completed 159 laps (639 km) of Circuit Zolder and finished 7th in class of the solar cars competing. That made ours Ireland's first solar car to complete the race.
Bringing the same car to the RDS let visitors see up close the machine that did it. They could see its solar array and its lightweight body, and hear about the engineering choices that kept it running through the night.
Throughout the day, our team members:
- Spoke with visitors and exhibitors about how the car turns sunlight into speed, from the solar array and battery to the motor and aerodynamics.
- Explained what it takes for a student team to design, build and race a solar car.
- Met people from across Ireland's motor trade, including [workshops, parts suppliers, tyre and EV specialists / named companies].
"It was fantastic to showcase the team's work and our successes at a national stage event like this." — Rían Gill, Team Manager, DCU Solar Racing.
Thank You
A huge thank you to our sponsor Bridgestone for welcoming us to the RDS for the Auto Trade Show, and to everyone who stopped by to talk about solar racing. Thanks as always to our sponsors and partners, whose support makes events like this possible.
Interested in joining the team or sponsoring DCU Solar Racing? Get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.
