Best Place To Build

From kangaroos to sudden explosions, this team is ready to face it all! | BP2B: Student Edition! Ep3

Join us on Best Place to Build – Student Edition as we take a tour of what Team Agnirath has been up to, in IIT Madras. It’s IITM's very own student-led solar racing team. That too, the only Indian team to compete in the World Solar Challenge 2025. In this exclusive tour, Vidhi meets two of the team leads behind India’s most advanced student-built solar race car, designed to travel 3022 km across the Australian Outback, powered entirely by sunlight. ------ What’s inside this episode • The real conditions of the World Solar Challenge: 50°C heat, 70 km/h crosswinds, hailstorms, road trains, and desert wildlife • How IIT Madras students engineered a 6-meter solar car using ultra-light carbon fiber and 25% efficiency solar cells • Why the team chose a boat-shaped aerodynamic profile to drastically reduce drag • A deep dive into the solar tech: MPPTs, regenerative braking, battery cooling, ETFE-based high-efficiency panels • How the team manages 5 days of endurance racing: camping routines, convoy strategy, observers, and on-road repairs • The engineering setbacks that pushed them into the Adventure Class: battery cell failures, overheating MPPTs, and rain-related challenges • Their upcoming goals: Sasol Solar Challenge 2026 and aiming for a global podium finish • Industry support from Tata Power, Ashok Leyland, Prabha Auto, Bridgestone, and more ------ Why this episode matters: This story goes beyond racing. It showcases the future of sustainable mobility, high-efficiency solar vehicles, and student-driven engineering innovation from India. Whether you're curious about solar cars, EV technology, extreme engineering competitions, or the science behind ultralight automotive design, this episode offers rare insights from inside the workshop. Featuring Agnirath Solar Car Team – IIT Madras (Check out: https://www.agnirath.in/) Team members: Sairam (Business Head), Pratyush (Former Vehicle Dynamics Lead & Team Head) ------- 00:00 – Intro 00:24 – Welcome to the Best Place to Build: Student Edition 01:40 – Introduction to Team Agnirath IITM 02:55 – The 3022 km World Solar Challenge explained 04:20 – Why do solar cars look like boats? 06:10 – Solar panels, MPPTs & power management 08:22 – Battery cooling, carbon fibre & structural design 10:45 – The 2023 race: failures, fixes & moving to Adventure Class 13:02 – Life on/off the track: heat, wind, wildlife & road trains 15:10 – Team logistics: convoys, observers & daily strategy 17:15 – Industry partnerships & technology collaborations 23:40 – What’s next for Agnirath? Relevant keywords: solar car india, iit madras solar car, agnirath iitm, world solar challenge india, solar vehicle engineering, mppt solar racing, ev battery cooling, aerodynamic solar car design, student engineering teams india, sasol solar challenge, high-efficiency solar cells

SASairamguestVIVidhihostPRPratyushguest

Dec 5, 2025·25m·Watch on YouTube ↗

📖 CHAPTERS

1. 1

   Solar racing in Australia: 3,022 km on sunlight (cold open)

   The episode opens with a snapshot of what makes the World Solar Challenge extreme: a 3,022 km cross-Australia route in five days, harsh weather, and real safety risks. The team frames the race as an efficiency and reliability trial, not a typical speed contest.

2. 2

   Meet Team Agnirath at IIT Madras: mission, timeline, and ambition

   Host Vidhi introduces Best Place To Build: Student Edition and the setting at IIT Madras with Team Agnirath. Sairam outlines the team’s purpose: building an ultra-efficient solar race car and representing India internationally.

3. 3

   World Solar Challenge essentials: categories, rules, and why it matters

   Sairam explains the competition format and why it’s influential for sustainable mobility innovation. The conversation covers race categories and strict energy rules that force teams to prioritize efficiency and robust engineering.

4. 4

   From race tech to real products: MPPTs, BMS, and Agnirath’s R&D

   The episode connects race engineering to commercialization, highlighting how solar racing has spawned real companies and products. Agnirath also shares its own innovation work, including a patent effort related to thermal management.

5. 5

   How a solar race convoy works: lead car, support vehicles, and safety oversight

   The team describes the operational side of racing across a public highway, including strict daily driving hours and convoy structure. They explain the required support setup and the presence of official observers to enforce rules and safety.

6. 6

   Life after 5 PM: desert camps, scouting, and day-to-day survival logistics

   Beyond engineering, the race demands daily field operations—finding a place to stop, setting up camp, feeding the team, and preparing for the next day. The team shares the routine and the ‘barren land’ reality behind the word “campsite.”

7. 7

   Desert hazards: extreme heat, battery risk, wildlife, and road trains

   Pratyush details the non-technical challenges that can end a race: extreme temperatures, limited cooling options, and dangers from wildlife and heavy vehicles. The solar car’s light weight amplifies instability when large trucks pass at highway speeds.

8. 8

   Why solar cars look like boats: aerodynamics and solar-area constraints

   Vidhi and Pratyush dig into the car’s distinctive shape and what governs it. The design emphasizes low drag and compliance with strict solar-area rules while maximizing the usable panel surface.

9. 9

   Solar array engineering: high-efficiency cells, ETFE encapsulation, and output

   The team explains how their solar panels differ from rooftop panels and why materials matter for race performance. They describe partnerships for panel manufacturing, efficiency targets, and what the array can deliver in real terms.

10. 10

    Energy budget and losses: audits, drag, rolling resistance, and regen plans

    Pratyush outlines how the team evaluates where energy comes from and where it is lost, then targets improvements. Weight reduction and low-rolling-resistance tires are central, and regenerative braking is discussed as an upcoming enhancement.

11. 11

    Keeping batteries safe: passive airflow cooling, optional fans, and thermal sims

    Battery thermal safety is addressed through simulation-backed design and a clever use of existing airflow. The system prioritizes passive cooling to avoid consuming precious energy, with fans available only when needed.

12. 12

    2023 race story: MPPT overheating, dead cells, class change, and weather chaos

    Pratyush recounts the team’s on-road experience—early optimism followed by a major energy drop and technical diagnosis. The team explains how failures forced a move to Adventure Class, and how late-stage rain and hail created a scramble for waterproofing and repairs.

13. 13

    Adventure Class explained and how the team tests, funds, and scales forward

    The episode closes by clarifying the competition’s third category—Adventure Class—as a way to keep learning even after setbacks. The team also covers testing methodology, institute support for logistics and bureaucracy, future competitions (Sasol 2026), and longer-term commercialization goals.