This weekend CalSol took the car out for a test drive. The mechanical framework -the chassis, steering, brakes and suspension are all operational. So we hooked up some lead acid batteries to the motor and took it for a spin. It cornered surprisingly well on our practice slalom course, and the front suspension reacted smoothly to bumps. This week we'll finetune the brakes and rear suspension and add more driver controls. The car is working well off of batteries- we need to finish work on the electrical components before we can attach the solar cells. Calsol is planning to race in the Formula Sun Grand Prix this June, although it doesn't look like we have the means to participate in this year's World Solar Challenge in Australia.
