CalSol Overview

Who We Are
CalSol, the UC Berkeley Solar Vehicle Team, is a non-profit organization representing the highest ranked
public university in the nation whose purpose is to design, build, test, and race fully solar powered vehicles.
Composed of over fifty undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines, CalSol provides students with
hands-on experience in the fields of real world engineering, project management, and business aptitude.
Through participation in solar races and alternative energy events, the team aims to raise awareness of
renewable energy while focusing on the engineering challenges inherent in solar powered electric vehicle
technology.

Vehicles
After nearly two decades of racing solar vehicles, CalSol is working to make its best car yet. The team formed
in 1990 to build our first vehicle, California Dreamin’. Our latest completed car is GoldRush, which raced in
the Formula Sun Grand Prix 2009 in Cresson, Texas. We are finishing work on Impulse, CalSol’s exciting
new solar vehicle which will race in the 2011 World Solar Challenge in Australia.

Recent Vehicles Races

GoldRush Formula Sun Grand Prix (2009)
Beam Machine North American Solar Challenge (2005)
Beam Machine Formula Sun Grand Prix (2005)
Solar Bear American Solar Challenge (2003)
Solar Bear Formula Sun Grand Prix (2003)

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GoldRush
Our most recently completed vehicle, GoldRush, was our first car designed to meet the new seating and
steering requirements of solar car races. In old designs the driver sat in a reclining position in order to fit
inside a narrow and more aerodynamic shell. The new seating position regulation creates a safer and more
conventional seating style that ultimately makes driving the vehicle more familiar. The driver also turns the
car with a conventional steering wheel, as opposed to a mechanical dual armed push-pull joystick. The new
steering wheel and upright seating makes our vehicle drive much like a commercial car.

Impulse
After our experience in Texas racing at Formula Sun Grand Prix, we feel that GoldRush has reached its
educational potential. Competitive improvements will be best realized in a brand new car built entirely
by our enthusiastic team of more than 50 members. Impulse is the name of CalSol’s next generation solar
vehicle, a car that will be safer, faster, more reliable, and more comfortable than any car we have built
before. Designs are complete, and construction is in progress, so check our web site for updates at
http://calsol.berkeley.edu.

The Race
As CalSol builds UC Berkeley’s next generation of solar vehicle we are also preparing for our next race,
the World Solar Challenge 2011 (WSC), which is a part of the Global Green Challenge. The Global Green
Challenge is a cross-continental race composed of hybrid, electric, solar, low emission, and alternative
energy vehicles. With the help of sponsors and our team members’ endless dedication, we will race across
Australia in the world’s biggest solar vehicle competition.

CalSol is also a frequent contender in the North American Solar Challenge (NASC) and Formula Sun
Grand Prix (FSGP) events. NASC is a 1000-2000 mile race that travels across the United States, and in past
years, through parts of Canada.

Solar car racing is a very complex and expensive undertaking. In addition to the challenge posed by the
terrain, the solar vehicles will be traveling with other cars and trucks along busy highways and through
dense urban settings. Along with building a vehicle, teams must also deal with the logistical coordination
associated with transporting a crew, renting vehicles, bringing supplies, and preparing for roadside repairs,
all while continually updating race strategy to consider current weather conditions and race standings.

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GoldRush Specs
Dimensions Mechanical
Length: 197 in. (5.0 m) Chassis: 4130 chromoly steel space frame
Width: 70 in. (1.80 m) Body: Kevlar-Nomex honeycomb sandwich
Height: 48 in. (1.22 m) Suspension: 6061 & 7075 Aluminum alloy
Curb Weight: 510 lb. (230 kg) Front: Triple M-Link (in house design)
Rear: Trailing Arm
Battery System
Battery Type: LG Lithium-Ion Drive System
Weight: 55 lb. (25 kg) Motor: NGM DC Brushless Hub
Nominal Voltage: 105 V Peak Power: 10 HP
Energy Storage: 4.5 kWh
Performance
Solar Array Top Speed: 61 mph
Solar Cells: Sunpower Monocrystalline Silicon Cruising Speed: 40 mph
Cell Efficiency: 20.4%
Area: 72 ft2 (6.6 m2)
Avg. Power: 1.6 HP (1.2 kW)
Budget
Mechanical
Chassis $1,200
Suspension $500
Shocks $1,000
Wheels $3,000
Tires $2,500
Brakes $1,500
Steering $300
Composite Materials $4,000
Molds $20,000
Paint $2,000
Other $1,000
Total $37,000
Electrical
Solar Cells $16,000
Encapsulation $4,000
Batteries $8,000
Motor $15,000
Motor Controller $6,000
Power Trackers $3,000
Circuit Boards $1,000
Telemetry $1,000
User Interface $500
Wiring & Connectors $1,000
Other $1,000
Total $56,500
Total Expenses: $156,000
Race Expenses
Entry Fee $7,000
Flight $24,000
Food $1,500
Lodging $3,000
Shipping $10,000
Vehicle Rental $5,000
Gas $4,000
Tools/Supplies $8,000
Total $62,500
Sponsorship
Why sponsor CalSol?
Our solar vehicle project is completely funded by supporters like you. Any tax deductible donation,
monetary or in-kind, helps us continue our endeavors. The practical knowledge we gain from creating
solar vehicles is beyond anything we can learn in a classroom and our members actively take this
experience with them into the work force. CalSol is a powerful learning platform, and by supporting our
project you demonstrate your commitment to education and green technology. Our members understand
that most companies are experiencing difficult economic times, so we will try our hardest to make your
investment worthwhile. All of our sponsors will be mentioned on our website and contributions as small
as $250 earn you a spot on our t-shirt and trailer. If you are ever unsatisfied with your exposure, please let
us know, and we will work with you to make things right.

Partnership
We like to think of sponsorship as a partnership, rather than just a donation. By allowing us to work
towards our goal we want you to benefit as well. Solar car races are high profile events with extensive
media coverage and we want to put you in the spotlight. We take our partners with us to events by putting
your name on our trailer and support vehicles. As space on the solar car itself is limited, we must reserve
that for our largest sponsors, but we would love to put your logo our shirts, support vehicles, and web site.
When we are interviewed with the car your logos will be clearly visible. Your will even receive international
coverage as we cross Australia during World Solar Challenge 2011. Most importantly, sponsoring CalSol
will provide your company with positive exposure while also demonstrating your support of clean energy,
innovation, and education.

The environment
Fundamentally, solar technology is good for the environment. In the area of transportation, solar technology
and electric vehicles serve as an eco-friendly substitution to pollutant-rich petroleum based fuels. In addition,
the motors used in electric vehicles are not only more efficient than traditional gasoline engines, but are also
capable of reclaiming energy normally dissipated as heat during breaking. As a solar car, we are even more
“green” then electric vehicles: every mile we drive in our solar vehicle is not only zero emission, but also
requires zero consumption of external energy sources to operate. Unlike with electric vehicles, the energy
used to power our solar car is completely renewable, untaxed, and abundant. We never have to plug in as
long as the sun is in the sky.

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Technology
By helping us design and build real world systems, you are advancing renewable energy technology.
Although we have members representing many majors, most CalSol members are engineers. Your
contributions allow us to innovatively apply textbook knowledge in practical ways. The experience we
gain from building a solar car will change the work we do in the future and by funding something as
small as a new circuit board you are giving us access to a new medium that datasheets and manuals can
only describe. Your help fuels our work. By helping CalSol today, you are improving the technology of
tomorrow.

As friends
If nothing else, support us as friends. Each of our approximately fifty members donates his or her time to
CalSol. As members of CalSol, we dedicate ourselves to this team because of our passion for engineering
and our interest in the products that engineering yields. Our biggest reward is the opportunity to apply
our knowledge and stretch our possibilities. As you consider CalSol sponsorship, whether monetary or
in-kind, please keep in mind that you are the one that makes this possible. We commit ourselves deeply
to this project simply for the chance to learn and do our best, and we greatly appreciate your support.

Sponsorship Levels
All partners receive national, regional, and local media coverage as we cross the country for races and attend
public events. However, as space is limited, the locations that corporate logos are placed is determined by
the size of the gift. Please keep in mind that decal size is relative to the vehicle it is placed on. For example, a
large decal on the solar car will be smaller than a large decal on the trailer due to space limitations.

Level Size of Gift Benefits

Logo on car (Large)
Platinum $20,000+ Chase vehicle and trailer (Large)
T-Shirt (Large)
Logo on car (Large)
Gold $5,000 - $19,999 Chase vehicle and trailer (Medium)
T-Shirt (Medium)
Logo on car (Medium)
Silver $1,000 - $4,999 Chase vehicle and trailer (Medium)
T-shirt (Small)
Logo on car (Small)
Bronze $250 - $999 Chase vehicle and trailer (Small)
T-shirt (Small)
Friends <$250 Website only

* All sponsorship logos last the duration of the car

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 Contact CalSol
We would love for your company to become a part of CalSol. Please feel free to contact us at any time if
you have questions or would like more information.

Team Lead: Chris Cartland

Web site: http://calsol.berkeley.edu
E-mail: calsol@me.berkeley.edu

Checks may be written to ASUC/CalSol.

Office Address:
CalSol
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-1740

Shipping Address:
CalSol, Bldg. 460
University of California Richmond Field Station
1301 South 46th St.
Richmond, CA 94804

All images © 2008-2011 CalSol. Rev 03-14-2011 8