The future of solar mobility: “Æthon,” a project by Covestro and Team Sonnenwagen

The future of solar mobility is already here. The joint commitment of Covestro and the Team Sonnenwagen has led to a decidedly exciting result for the sector. On the occasion of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025, held from August 24 to 31 in Australia, the new solar car “Æthon” was unveiled.

Designed to travel 3,000 kilometers across the Australian Outback, powered solely by the sun. Weighing 170 kilograms, equipped with a 3 kWh battery and six square meters of solar cells—two more than the previous Covestro Adelie—Æthon captured an impressive fourth place and pole position with a record-setting qualifying time.

The Sonnenwagen project is much more than a competition: it’s a platform for applied research where the enthusiasm of over 40 students from RWTH and FH Aachen meets the technological expertise of Covestro, the main sponsor and strategic partner.

The result? A concentration of innovative materials and industrial know-how: over ten Covestro materials have been integrated into the vehicle, an absolute record in the project’s history. Thanks to this, Æthon becomes a true testbed for solutions intended for series automotive production, trialed under the extreme conditions of the Australian desert.

“We are incredibly proud of Æthon,” says Leonie Brandt, president of Team Sonnenwagen. “We worked passionately for a full year, and without Covestro’s support and expertise, none of this would have been possible.”

As in previous editions, the new Sonnenwagen also integrates circular solutions and high-performance materials: from chemically recycled foam used for the driver’s seat to ultralight structural components for the battery, body, and interior trims. Covestro materials are also used in the headlights, turn signals, and coatings, contributing to a functional, efficient, and responsible design.

The commitment to sustainability doesn’t stop at the vehicle. Thanks to the collaboration among Huafeng, Cyclone, and Covestro, the team wears sports apparel made with innovative materials that have a lower environmental impact. It’s not the first time Covestro products have accompanied the young engineers: the company’s partially bio-based polyurethane dispersions were already used to coat the steering wheel of the team’s previous solar car.

With Æthon, Covestro and Team Sonnenwagen show that sustainable mobility is not just a goal, but an ongoing race toward a more efficient, lighter, and brighter future—powered by the sun and by innovation.