GREENVILLE, S.C. — Clemson University has unveiled Deep Orange 17, a
solar-integrated, energy-positive electric vehicle prototype designed
to generate more energy than it consumes during a typical day of urban
commuting. Developed in collaboration with BMW’s research and
development team, the prototype integrates solar technology,
lightweight engineering and intelligent vehicle controls to
demonstrate that energy-positive mobility is possible.
Deep Orange
17 is the latest concept vehicle developed through Clemson’s acclaimed
Deep Orange program, where graduate automotive engineering students
design, engineer and build a fully functional prototype alongside
industry partners.
Rethinking Vehicle Efficiency
In the fall of 2024, BMW challenged the graduate students of Deep
Orange 17 to rethink one of the industry’s biggest questions: Could a
vehicle generate more energy than it consumes during everyday driving?
Rather than optimizing solely for standardized driving cycles, the
team focused on how people actually use their vehicles every day.
Passenger vehicles spend most of their time parked, creating
opportunities to harvest solar energy throughout the day. Students
also designed the vehicle to capture solar energy while driving,
allowing sunlight to become a continuous source of energy generation
during everyday use.
The result is Deep Orange 17, a lightweight, solar-integrated coupe
designed to generate more energy than it consumes during a typical day
of urban commuting. Designed around drivers who value ease of driving,
energy efficiency and reduced dependence on charging infrastructure,
the vehicle represents a new approach to sustainable mobility.
“This is a project we’ve wanted to pursue for years, so it’s
incredibly rewarding to see this group of students come together over
the last two years, overcome so many technical challenges and
constraints, and bring an energy-positive vehicle to life,” said
Stephan Augustin, Project Manager of Research and New Technologies at BMW.
Harnessing Solar Energy
At the heart of Deep Orange 17 is a fully integrated solar energy
system. Rather than serving as an auxiliary feature, solar power is a
core part of the vehicle’s propulsion strategy.
More than 1,700 photovoltaic cells are integrated directly into the
vehicle’s exterior surfaces, allowing the body itself to harvest
energy while both parked and in motion. The system continuously
replenishes the vehicle’s energy storage using sunlight, helping
offset energy consumed during daily driving.
Developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar
Energy Systems ISE, the solar panels use an innovative construction
that continues generating power even when portions of the panels are
shaded. They are protected by a durable outer film featuring a
distinctive color created through an advanced laser manufacturing process.
To evaluate real-world performance, students modeled environmental
conditions and sunlight availability in Greenville, South Carolina;
Frankfurt, Germany; Madrid, Spain; and Mumbai, India. Assuming a daily
commute of 12 miles (20 kilometers), the vehicle generated enough
surplus solar energy to provide an average of 31 miles (50 kilometers)
of additional driving range across all four locations.
Engineered for Efficiency
Generating more energy than the vehicle consumes required more than
solar panels alone. Students approached every aspect of the vehicle
with efficiency in mind, from aerodynamics and lightweight
construction to power electronics and drivetrain controls.
Weighing just 1,212 pounds (550 kilograms) Deep Orange 17 is
approximately one-fourth the weight of many similarly sized production
vehicles. Its multi-material chassis combines structural steel for
passenger safety with aluminum components, carbon fiber structural
members and 3D-printed metal joints to maximize strength while
minimizing mass.
The vehicle’s exterior draws inspiration from the aerodynamic
characteristics of the boxfish, whose streamlined body naturally
reduces drag while maintaining interior volume. That biomimetic
approach, paired with retro-modern styling, helped students create a
vehicle that is both visually distinctive and highly efficient.
Additional technologies, including regenerative braking, intelligent
torque distribution and optimized drivetrain controls, work together
to maximize energy recovery and improve overall vehicle performance.
“This was an incredibly challenging project—not only to create a
working energy-positive prototype, but to demonstrate how a vehicle
can become increasingly energy independent through solar integration,”
said Harsh Manghnani, Deep Orange team member and solar integration
lead. “Seeing our initial research and design validated in a working
prototype has been incredibly rewarding.”
Performance Meets Design
BMW challenged the Deep Orange team to prove that efficiency doesn’t
have to come at the expense of emotional design.
The result is a
two-door coupe inspired by BMW’s design heritage while embracing a
distinctly modern identity. The model name Luminetta reflects both the
vehicle’s solar-powered capability and its retro-modern design heritage.
Inside, the vehicle features a custom human-machine interface that
provides real-time vehicle telemetry alongside familiar technologies
including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, creating a connected driving
experience that balances innovation with everyday usability.
Developing the Next Generation of Automotive Leaders
While Deep Orange 17 showcases a new approach to sustainable
mobility, it also demonstrates the educational model that has made
Clemson’s Deep Orange program a leader in experiential engineering education.
Unlike traditional engineering projects, Deep Orange immerses
graduate students in the complete vehicle development process.
Students conduct market research, define customer needs, develop
vehicle concepts, engineer major systems, manufacture components and
validate performance, all while working alongside industry engineers
and managing real-world budgets, schedules and technical constraints.
The result is a holistic, end-to-end vehicle development experience
that integrates powertrain engineering, vehicle controls,
manufacturing, body design, software and emerging technologies into a
single collaborative project.
“It’s rare for a master’s student to have the opportunity to
experience the complete process of developing a prototype vehicle,”
said Anshul Karn, Deep Orange Project Manager. “Many engineering
programs include courses in areas like digital modeling or marketing,
but very few give students the opportunity to begin with a vision,
work through the entire development process and ultimately deliver a
fully functioning prototype. That experience is what makes Deep Orange
so unique.”
The 16 students who developed Deep Orange 17 will graduate on Aug. 7
with Master of Science degrees in Automotive Engineering, but Deep
Orange Program Director Dr. Greg Mocko believes they’ll enter the
workforce with far more than a diploma.
“I think once the project is complete and the students have had some
time to reflect, they’ll truly appreciate what they’ve accomplished
and how much they’ve grown—not only as engineers, but also as
individuals and as a team over the past two years,” said Mocko.
Research on the prototype will continue at the Clemson University
International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville,
South Carolina, where the vehicle will serve as a platform for
continued innovation in sustainable mobility. Deep Orange 17 is also
scheduled to be featured at the 2027 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Additional information about Deep Orange 17 is available here.
About Deep Orange
Deep Orange is a vehicle prototyping program in Clemson
University’s Department of Automotive Engineering that immerses
graduate students in the world of an automotive manufacturer or
supplier. Working collaboratively, students, multidisciplinary
faculty, and participating industry partners design, engineer and
build a new vehicle prototype each year. View additional information
about the program and the previous concept vehicles here.
BMW and Clemson University Collaboration
Clemson University’s partnership with BMW spans more than two
decades. BMW was a founding partner of the Clemson University International Center
for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in 2007, helping to establish
Clemson’s Department of Automotive Engineering and the world’s first
PhD program in automotive engineering. Since then, BMW has remained a
longstanding supporter of the Deep Orange program, serving as the
primary sponsor for five projects, including Deep Orange 17. Earlier
collaborations include concepts focused on Gen-Y mobility (DO1),
human-machine interface innovation (DO2),
a next-generation SUV design (DO4),
and a reimagined MINI experience (DO7).
Beyond Deep Orange, BMW has invested in student scholarship and
fellowships, collaborated on numerous research initiatives and
established its Information Technology Research Center on the CU-ICAR
campus in Greenville, SC.