Last Updated on July 21, 2026 6:08 pm
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University's Team Sunergy marked a new milestone on July 10, unveiling its next-generation solar racing vehicle, Autumn, a decade after the student-led team first competed.
Supporters, friends, donors, alumni and the public mingled with the team at an unveiling and race send-off at the Holmes Convocation Center on App State's Boone campus. Team Sunergy hopes the new two-person car — 40% lighter and 60% more aerodynamic than its predecessor, ROSE (Racing on Solar Energy) — will carry it to victory at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP), held July 17-23 at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota. That track race serves as the qualifier for the Electrek American Solar Challenge (ASC), a more than 1,500-mile road race from Minneapolis to Amarillo, Texas, set for July 25-Aug. 1.
“This is a race where we really have a chance to compete for first again — and we really want it,” said team manager Zach Howard ’25 ’26. “We're very excited. The last five years of work are coming down to this summer.”
Team Sunergy — scrappy, independent and known for lending a helping hand to other teams during competition — has reached podium finishes in multiple past races, beating more heavily resourced teams from elite universities. This race cycle, the team is up against several newly engineered vehicles from universities with top-notch engineering schools, but brings deep experience in building and racing, along with a vehicle that has a more powerful battery than ROSE and an ultra-lightweight carbon fiber composite frame.
App State's Dr. Christine Ogilvie Hendren, vice chancellor of research and innovation, highlighted Team Sunergy's role in providing students with interdisciplinary, hands-on learning experiences. “Team Sunergy members learn team dynamics, leadership and strategy, but they also find a home centered around community and shared endeavor — where grit and determination carry these talented problem-solvers to consistent victories,” she said.
Howard, who holds App State degrees in sustainable technology and renewable energy technology, said the team's collective racing experience and inside-out knowledge of the new vehicle will be key to its success. “This entire team has been to a race before, and they've been through the build process of this car,” he said. “They know how to work on the car, they know how to solve problems and they understand the systems very well.”
The 35-member team put the vehicle through extensive road testing at North Wilkesboro Speedway and used the A2 Wind Tunnel in Mooresville to refine aerodynamics. Team driver and mechanical member Mike Burry, a senior industrial design major from Troutman, has been deeply involved in engineering, designing, machining and tuning Autumn. “Being a part of this team means everything to me,” he said. “I spend just as much time at the shop hanging out with everyone and working on the car as I do at school or work.”
Ariana Jones ’26, of Raleigh, co-lead for electrical systems, joined the team during her first year at App State after seeing the solar car at a campus Club Expo. “Being part of Team Sunergy means contributing to a truly one-of-a-kind engineering project. It has been one of the most impactful experiences of my college career,” said Jones, who graduated this spring with a bachelor's degree in building sciences-sustainable building systems.
The solar vehicle team is supported by App State's Research Institute for Environment, Energy and Economics, with a mix of industry, university and private sponsorships funding its work. The build of Autumn was also made possible through collaboration with Catawba College, which provided funding for materials and parts. Team Sunergy has in turn provided training and mentorship to help Catawba College launch its own developing solar vehicle team.
Team Sunergy got its start in fall 2013 with a solar-powered golf cart project and has won podium finishes in every year of competition in both the FSGP and ASC, including a first-place finish in the 2021 ASC. The team's first vehicle, Apperion, was a modified single-occupant race car built using a donated shell from Iowa State University in 2015; it was replaced by ROSE in 2018 and later donated to Catawba College.
Visit sunergy.appstate.edu to learn more about App State's Team Sunergy.
📷 Photo Courtesy of Appalachian State University / Photo by Chase Reynolds
