The North American Solar Challenge is now winding through the American Midwest.
Fourteen solar cars are racing from Texas to Calgary.
They drivers left Sunday and have traveled 500 kilometres to a staged stop in Missouri.
The day begins at sunrise and doesn't end until well after sunset.
For the student teams, being on the race circuit is gruelling.
Jeff Wickenheiser a driver with the Calgary team says "it doesn't have the comforts of a regular car, like air conditioning or all those necessities people like".
But for Wickenheiser, the biggest challenge is a lack of power steering. He says "it takes a little more concentration and work to keep it to run straight. It doesn't run straight on itself so you have to be constantly paying attention".
Crews try to power their solar cells with as much sunlight as they can before hitting the road.
The custom designed cars run on less energy then a hairdryer and can travel at highway speeds and can only race between 8 AM and 6 PM.
From sunrise to sundown, race officials travel with teams to make sure all the rules are followed.
The teams will head through North and South Dakota and are expected to cross into Canada on Friday.
The U of C team is currently in 8th place. There are now 14 cars in the race after three entries forfeited.
