03 August 2021 – BluePoint Atlas, the most aerodynamic solar car designed and built by the Agoria Solar Team, was unveiled today at an event in the Africa Museum, Tervuren, Belgium. It will take part in the first Solar Challenge Morocco, from 23 to 30 October 2021, the replacement event for this year’s cancelled Bridgestone World Solar Challenge due to be held in Australia.

BluePoint Atlas was painted at the Cromax Training Centre (CTC) in Belgium alongside the Agoria Solar Team, which is made up of engineering students from the Belgian Catholic University of Leuven. The Ultra Performance Energy system from Cromax, a premium refinish brand from Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, was used on the chassis.

Ruben Holsbeeckx, Business Relations for the Agoria Solar Team, says, “We always enjoy our collaboration with Cromax and working together again on BluePoint Atlas has been no exception. Cromax brings productivity and innovation to the table, two values we see as crucial.”

Thomas Cool, Axalta Refinish Academy Manager for Belgium and Refinish Product Specialist for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, says, “We were delighted once again to welcome the students of the Agoria Solar Team to the CTC in June for a week of socially distanced prep and painting of BluePoint Atlas in our fastest and most technologically advanced paint system – our Ultra Performance Energy System, which helps the car look amazing while achieving peak performance.”

This year’s livery sports a complex pattern of flow lines of light to dark blue, so preparation of the vehicle was key. The ambitious, bold new design of BluePoint Atlas is perfectly matched by the more complex paint work that accentuates the car’s improved aerodynamic qualities.

To avoid the added weight and additional time-consuming preparation from sponsor decals, the Agoria logo as well as two large logos of the secondary sponsors were hand-painted on the car. Cromax developed bespoke colours to match their brands’ colours.

Cromax technicians offered expertise and guidance to the team for the masking and preparation stages. They also demonstrated the technical application and processes that go into ensuring the paintwork not only looks great but also withstands extreme conditions.

The Solar Challenge Morocco includes a five-day, five-stage time challenge, which sees teams race 2,500km across the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, starting and finishing in Agadir.

For more information on the relationship between Cromax and the Agoria Solar Team, visit www.cromax.com/eu/solarteambelgium.    

About Cromax

Cromax, a global refinish coating brand from Axalta, is designed to increase productivity. Our coatings are formulated specifically to optimise business with advanced time-, energy- and material-saving processes that increase throughput and lower operating costs. Our value-added solutions provide customers with the most advanced systems to get the best out of the entire workflow. And our smart tools, our people’s in-depth knowledge and our strong approved networks all make our bodyshop customers more attractive to work providers. Cromax - drive your productivity.