Introducing Penumbra

Photo by Mike Krapfl.

The familiar car number 9 has a whole new look and size in 2017. Iowa State's student solar car team unveiled a four-door, four-seat vehicle to the public June 2 at the Alumni Center. The 14th car in Team PrISUm's 26-year history, Penumbra will be the university's first-ever entrant in the biennial World Solar Challenge, a Darwin to Adelaide coast-to-coast haul down the Australian outback Oct. 8-12.

The team will test its vehicle during a 99-county SunRun around Iowa, which launched last weekend and wraps up June 24 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton.