Donation delivery by solar-powered off-road car
At the beginning of October, the exciting practical test of students from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) began. With the solar-powered all-terrain vehicle “Stella Terra” they drove along steep mountain paths, over dry river courses and through the loose desert sands of Morocco. In combination with the tour through Morocco, Siemens employees support the earthquake victims in the country.
Given the current emergency situation in the host country, the university team set up a fundraiser to support the earthquake victims in Morocco. Siemens employees play an important role with a donation of €100.000 through the charitable organization Siemens Caring Hands to enable essential survival aids and emergency shelters on site.
1000 kilometres. Off-road. Without a charging station.
The TU/e student team started on the Morocco’s north coast and through mountains, dry river beds and forests successfully reached the sand of the Sahara in the south of the country. With speeds of up to 145 kilometres per hour and a range of 710 kilometres on sunny days, the Stella Terra’s tests were successful even on challenging terrain. Since the beginning of the developments, Siemens has supported the university team and, with Siemens Digital Industries Software in the Netherlands, supplied the essential technologies that enabled the efficient construction of the Stella Terra through realistic simulations of a digital twin.
More information on the technology and the off-road vehicle Stella Terra can be found here.
Immediate support for Morocco
In addition to the off-road vehicle’s impressive journey through the Moroccan countryside, the humanitarian emergency of the local population was a major concern for the team. Therefore, together with the Dutch Red Cross and the Moroccan Red Crescent, donations were raised as an integral part of the project.
Siemens employees are committed to helping the people in Morocco with donations to Siemens Caring Hands, which were doubled by Siemens. In front of the Moroccan Crescent headquarters, a representative of the German Embassy, the Solar Team and local media met to recognize the significant donation, as well as the special achievement of the Solar Team.
Together Hicham Haddou and Mounia Bouhlal, CEO and CFO of Siemens Morocco and Koen Verdurmen of the Solar Team Eindhoven handed over the donation of Siemens Caring Hands to Gwen Eamer, Head of Emergency Operations of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFCR) in Marrakech.
Technology for social impact
Through the ecosystem of science, business and international organizations, it is possible for the individual players to work together effectively and at the same time to increase the social impact of projects. Because of its mounted solar panels, Stella Terra is not bound to infrastructure nor charging stations. The cars’ independence is making it possible to reach remote places and can be used in the future to supply communities with medical and technical goods. The possibilities arising from this technology, combined with the fundraising campaign, make the Stella Terra an exciting showcase project that lives up to its social responsibility.
Do you want to support an initiative like this to help the people in North Africa?
Donate to Siemens Caring Hands using the keyword “Natural disasters North Africa”.
Your donation doubles in impact as Siemens matches every Euro donated to Siemens Caring Hands.