Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Campus

Vattenfall and Solar Team split up after 20 years

The main sponsor of the Vattenfall Solar Team has announced that its collaboration with the TU Delft solar car team will end after the upcoming race in Australia.

From 2022 onwards, the TU Delft solar car team will have to find another main sponsor. (Photo: Hans-Peter van Velthoven)

This marks the end of a 20 year era in which first Nuon and then, from 2019, Vattenfall, was the main sponsor of the TU Delft solar racing team. At TU Delft’s first entry in the World Solar Challenge in 2001, Nuon sponsored the special high quality solar cells that were good enough to go into space to the tune of about EUR 1 million. Vattenfall’s current sponsorship level has not been disclosed.

The sponsorship contract will continue this year so that the Vattenfall Solar Team can fulfil its plan to enter the biennial Bridgestone Solar Challenge in Australia in October. Their Nuna 11, nicknamed Phoenix, should make up for the tragedy of Nuna X which caught fire in the final stage of the race in 2019.

In addition, the team is looking for a new main sponsor for 2022. “We are in talks with a number of parties,” says Tanya Spee (Vattenfall Solar Team partnership & public relations). “We hope to find another sponsor in time.”

Vattenfall has decided on a new sponsorship strategy and is therefore leaving the solar car team, says Robert Portier (media relations Vattenfall). Instead of news about solar energy all year round, the company is now opting for short-term campaigns on a broader spectrum of topics. Wind at sea, global warming, district heating and CO2 free industry are topics that are hardly ever covered at the moment.

In addition, news about the solar car is mainly picked up by traditional media such as television and newspapers. With sponsored items about other CO2 free forms of energy, the energy company wants to target social media.

Knowledge transfer
Vattenfall and the TU Delft solar car team will separate amicably, says Spee. In a friendly gesture, Vattenfall has promised to transfer all knowledge to the future sponsor in order to ensure a smooth transition.

In the joint press release, Martijn Hagens, CEO Vattenfall Nederland, states ‘I have always been proud of our relationship with the Vattenfall Solar Team and their performance. We have celebrated great success together and the team has inspired young and old to think about fossil-free life. Moreover, the collaboration has had a very positive impact on our brand. Our company is now taking a different path, but of course we will continue to follow the team with interest and wish them many more victories and successes. Hopefully we will be able to win one more victory together.”

Science editor Jos Wassink

Do you have a question or comment about this article?

j.w.wassink@tudelft.nl

Comments are closed.