Axalta supported the Belgium-based Innoptus Solar Team’s assault on the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia, one of the world’s most demanding endurance events for solar vehicles.
The team’s newest car, Infinite Apollo, is its most advanced yet. Designed to tackle over 3000 kilometres of harsh terrain between Darwin and Adelaide, it was put to the test under unique conditions. For the first time, the event took place in the Australian winter, bringing colder temperatures, shorter daylight hours, and reduced solar intensity. These factors made aerodynamic performance, solar efficiency and energy-saving technology more important than ever.
Weighing just 170 kilograms and powered by a high-efficiency solar array (over 27 per cent), Infinite Apollo combines clever engineering with innovative materials. One of the car’s standout features is its new fixed aerodynamic fins, designed to increase crosswind stability and allow the car to ‘sail’ on the wind.
Axalta has played a key role in bringing this design to life. As a sponsor and technical contributor, Axalta supplied high-performance Cromax coatings to provide a sleek, energy-efficient finish. The vehicle was painted using the Cromax Ultra Performance Energy System – a process that cures at low temperatures to reduce energy use while delivering a durable, high-gloss result. This aligns perfectly with the project’s sustainability goals and the need to maximise efficiency in every aspect of the build.
Beyond supplying coatings, Axalta worked closely with the team to ensure that application processes supported both the car’s ultra-lightweight construction and strict performance standards. With weight, energy consumption and finish quality all critical in competition, this collaboration highlights how advanced coatings technology can contribute to world-class outcomes.
Based at KU Leuven in Belgium, the Innoptus Solar Team were reigning world champions. With Infinite Apollo and Axalta’s support, the team’s aim was not try to compete with the world’s best, but to demonstrate what’s possible when cutting-edge science meets sustainable thinking.
The Innoptus Solar Team eventually finished third in the gruelling race.