The Vattenfall team came in third place in the Solar Challenge Morocco.
The race was held in north Africa 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 in location presented its own challenges as Vattenfall’s Nuna11 had to step on the brakes regularly because a camel or a goat crossed the road.
On another occasion, its solar racing car had to avoid a shifting dune made of Sahara sand on the road.
A cyclone brought part of the camp to a standstill, so that the team members slept in the support vehicles.
The gastrointestinal flu then incapacitated a large part of the team for the last part of the race.
The cars, which are often designed for racing in flat Australia, struggled with the steep slopes of the Atlas Mountains.
The heavy cloud cover on the first day also caused problems as the solar panels did not provide enough energy.
Half of the participants were unable to complete all stages in the given time.
Fortunately, the Vattenfall Solar Team succeeded in doing this.
Team leader Christiaan Wiers said: “The last few days have passed so quickly. They were over in a flash.
“We worked very hard for this race for a year and a half and put everything aside for this race. It was an incredible experience.”