The Performance of Lead-Free Solders During a Long-Distance Electric Vehicle Race

Abstract

The authors produced a demonstration electric vehicle, “Deep Green Research,” based on a Honda Civic, in which critical electrical connections were soldered with a lead free Sn-Cu-Ni-Ge alloy. This paper reports on the team’s participation and completion in the Global Green Challenge, the world’s largest solar car and eco car race, from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia that was run in late October, 2009. The successful completion of this course under the harsh conditions of the Australian outback proved that high reliability of the Sn-Cu-Ni-Ge lead-free solder joints in the control panels, cables, and connectors that had to carry the heavy current required to propel the vehicle over long distances at speeds of up to 104km/hr. The vehicle set a new record for the longest distance travelled on a single charge by a car that satisfies relevant Australian safety regulations. This distance of 360km was achieved using lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 33kWh and resulted in an award in the category “Modified Production Class – Small Car (Electric”.