PPG has partnered with a student organisation from the Eindhoven University of Technology, in the Netherlands, to develop the ‘Stella Terra’. It’s believed to be first off-road car on the planet which is powered only by the energy of the sun.
The partnership is part of its recent US$5 million commitment to environmental sustainability education. Along with a grant of US$37,000 to the Solar Team Eindhoven, PPG is also supplying its PPG CORACHAR fire protection coating to protect the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack. PPG CoraChar battery fire protection coatings are intumescent. This means they expand in the presence of high heat or fire to provide an insulating layer to protect from thermal damage. The coatings cover a wide range of applications and leverage PPG’s experience with industrial and commercial fire protection. The result is improved light-weighting and increased battery performance, as well as supporting passenger and first-responder safety in case of a fire. According to Thierry Destruhaut, PPG Customer Sustainability Business Partner, Automotive OEM Coatings, the project supports PPG’s goals of developing sustainably advantaged technologies and supporting sustainability education “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.”
The Stella Terra has been designed to withstand the harsh conditions of off-roading and in October 2023 the team will head to Morocco where it will undergo extensive testing, including in the Sahara Desert. PPG coatings have formed an integral part of the groundbreaking car, says Wisse Bos, Team Manager of Solar Team Eindhoven. “A risk of lithium-ion batteries is that they can experience thermal runaway. While the probability of this failure occurring is rather slim, we decided to partner with PPG to minimise 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.”