The Vattenfall team came in third place in the Solar Challenge Morocco.

The race took place in nNorth Africa for the first time this year as an alternative to the World Solar Challenge in Australia, which could not take place due to coronavirus restrictions.

The change of location presented its own challenges, as Vattenfall’s Nuna11 had to brake regularly because a camel or a goat was crossing the road.

On another occasion, his solar-powered racing car had to avoid a moving dune made of Sahara sand on the road.

A cyclone paralyzed part of the camp, so the team members slept in the assistance vehicles.

Gastrointestinal flu then crippled much of the team for the latter part of the race.

The cars, which are often designed for racing in the Australian flat, struggled with the steep slopes of the Atlas Mountains.

The heavy cloud cover on the first day also caused problems as the solar panels were not delivering enough power.

Half of the participants could not complete all the stages in the allotted time.

Fortunately, the Vattenfall Solar Team managed to do this.

Team leader Christiaan Wiers said: “The last few days have gone by so quickly. They have ended in a flash.

“We worked really hard for this race for a year and a half and put everything aside for this race. It was an amazing experience.”