Advanced materials specialist Goodfellow has supplied critical polyaramid honeycomb to the TUfast Eco team from the Technical University of Munich as they prepare to tackle the 3,000 km Bridgestone World Solar Challenge across Australia’s outback.
The Lux025 solar car, designed and built by the university’s cross‑cultural student team, pairs solar panels with a fully electric drivetrain and targets speeds up to 130 km/h while maintaining a high average pace on limited battery reserves. Goodfellow sourced and delivered the lightweight, high‑strength honeycomb that forms the sandwich structure of the vehicle’s outer shell, a component the team identified as essential for durability and performance.
“Motorsport and academia are two of our biggest markets and we have built up some very exciting relationships in these spaces,” said Dr Aphrodite Tomou, Technical Manager at Goodfellow.
“That’s why we were so excited to be involved in TUfast Eco’s latest challenge to travel 3000 km across the outback in Australia. We relish the opportunity to identify the right material and the right post processing options to deliver exactly what companies, universities and teams need to push the boundaries of innovation. Having spoken with engineers in the team, we ratified their decision to go for Polyaramid and were able to supply the material in the desired quantities and in the timeframe required.”
She added, “This is a real test of endurance, technology and teamwork and we wish them all the best for when the event kicks‑off in August (24th–31st).”
TUfast Eco has previously set two Guinness World Records: “Most Efficient Electric Vehicle” in 2016 and “Greatest Distance Driven by an Electric Vehicle on a Single Charge (non‑solar),” covering 2,573.79 km. The Bridgestone event in August will mark their first participation in a solar‑only challenge.
“We are really pleased to have Goodfellow as a critical material supplier and sponsor, joining the likes of Agile Robots, Audi and Solidworks,” said TUfast Eco team member Vince Bartok. “It has been very responsive to our requests and has delivered a lot of technical advice that has helped us make subtle changes that will improve performance and continue to set new records.”
Goodfellow, which secured investment from Battery Ventures in 2021, offers a broad portfolio of metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers, compounds and composites, alongside post‑processing services such as rolling, electroplating, heat treatment and precision cutting. The company serves R&D, advanced engineering, space and scientific sectors from its headquarters in Huntingdon and subsidiaries across Europe, North America and China.
For more information, visit www.goodfellow.com.
