This Canadian team has raced solar cars since 1992, and they’re bringing their best yet to the 2026 Electrek American Solar Challenge

This July, the 2026 Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) and American Solar Challenge (ASC) head north to Minnesota. Meanwhile, I caught up with one of the teams making the trip, and they’ve been racing solar cars longer than almost anyone. Éclipse, out of École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in Montreal, has been building them for over 33 years, since 1992. Hence the big 92 you’ll spot on the car.

The team’s captain, Yohann Gourmelen, sat down with me to talk about their new car (Éclipse 12), some rule changes shaking up this year’s race, and how they build nearly an entire solar car in-house.