PPG, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has partnered with Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands to develop the first off-road car powered by the sun.
The vehicle, Stella Terra, will be independent of charging stations and paved roads. PPG will provide $37,000 to the Solar Team Eindhoven. The company said the funding is part of its recent $5 million commitment to environmental sustainability education.
PPG, which is a paints, coatings, and specialty materials company, is also providing its PPG CORACHAR fire protection coating to protect the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack. The coating expands in the presence of high heat or fire to provide an insulating layer to protect it from thermal damage.
The vehicle is designed to withstand harsh weather conditions of off-roading. The car will undergo extensive testing in Morocco in October, including testing in the Sahara Desert.
“A risk of Li-ion batteries is that they can experience thermal runaway,” Wisse Bos, team manager of Solar Team Eindhoven, said in a statement. “While the probability of this failure occurring is rather slim, we decided to partner with PPG to minimize the effects of such a severe accident. PPG’s cutting-edge innovations on battery coatings make it possible for Terra’s drivers and its surroundings to evacuate in a worst-case scenario by stalling the spread of a battery fire."
The funding and new car development come as numerous more electric vehicles are coming into the market as infrastructure for electric vehicle charging is increasing around the United States. Recently, carmaker Hyundai Motor Group partnered with Georgia Tech to promote research and development of sustainable mobility projects, including focusing on a hydrogen economy, workforce development, and building smart cities.
PPG’s role in the development of Stella Terra leverages its coating technologies. PPG’s coatings have many uses, including industrial and commercial fire protection, improved light-weighting, increased battery performance, and support passenger and first-responder safety in case of a fire.
The company said it invested $16.2 million in 2022, supporting hundreds of organizations across more than 35 countries.
“The project supports PPG’s goals of developing sustainably advantaged technologies and supporting sustainability education,” Thierry Destruhaut, PPG customer sustainability business partner, Automotive OEM Coatings, said in a statement. “Through this investment, we aim to support educational activities related to clean energy and the future of mobility and help prepare the next generation of leaders to understand the impacts of climate change.”
