Students unveil world’s first solar-powered ambulance

Stella Juva is designed to transport patients, provide on-site care and power medical equipment without fuel or grid electricity

Dutch students have today unveiled what they describe as the world’s first fully solar-powered ambulance, designed to bring medical care to regions beyond the reach of reliable fuel supplies and electricity grids.

The vehicle, called Stella Juva, is being developed to transport patients, support on-site diagnoses and power and recharge all its onboard medical equipment using energy generated from sunlight.

It is designed for regions where fuel supplies are unstable, charging infrastructure is unavailable or roads are too rough for conventional medical vehicles.

Solar Team Eindhoven, a group of 23 students from Eindhoven University of Technology, said the vehicle could operate as a self-sufficient mobile clinic in remote areas where conventional ambulances are difficult, costly or unreliable to deploy.

During upcoming field trials, the team plans to test whether Stella Juva can transport patients through difficult terrain, provide medical care without grid electricity and recharge its equipment from the solar array while operating.

Developing the ambulance has required the students to balance the low weight needed for an efficient solar vehicle with the safety, handling and payload demands of an emergency vehicle.

The team said Stella Juva would need to carry several hundred kilograms of medical equipment while maintaining predictable braking and reliable operation on rough or remote roads.

Dutch automotive components supplier Tuningsupply is providing critical Wilwood braking and vehicle-control equipment, including an electronic parking brake, remote master cylinders and an adjustable proportioning valve.

The components are intended to support secure vehicle holding, braking control and adjustments to brake balance as the vehicle’s medical payload and traction conditions change.

Steven Swinkels, technical and events manager at Solar Team Eindhoven, said: “What makes this project strong is that we can build on existing expertise from European specialists.

“We work with local specialist partners — including the Dutch company Tuningsupply, which is responsible for supplying critical Wilwood braking and vehicle-control components.

“This allows us to develop technology that is ready for practical deployment.”

Solar Team Eindhoven has previously won the Cruiser Class of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia four consecutive times between 2013 and 2019.

Its earlier projects include Stella Vita, a long-distance solar camper, and Stella Terra, described by the team as the world’s first off-road solar vehicle.

Stella Terra completed a journey of more than 1,000km across Morocco, including desert terrain.

Solar Team Eindhoven said the August trials would determine how Stella Juva performs under the road, payload and off-grid conditions for which it has been designed.

READ MORE: Facebook owner Meta signs Texas solar deal with Turkish renewables firm. Sabanci Renewables agrees long-term deal linked to two U.S projects as AI and data centres drive demand for secure power supplies.

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_{Main image: Stella Juva, the solar-powered ambulance being developed by students at Eindhoven University of Technology to deliver off-grid medical care in remote areas. Credit: STE/Bart van Overbeeke}