How it all began
Julian and James Field, a father and son team from the United Kingdom were inspired by the idea that solar powered vehicles might be a practical possibility for everyday use. In the autumn of 2013 they began to design a proof of concept vehicle stipulating that it had to be practical, affordable and road legal. In early 2014 their design was complete and by the summer a prototype, named SPV1, began to undergo road testing.
The SPV1 prototype
SPV1 performed better than expected, achieving workable top speeds and a useful range. Its battery had a re-charge time of 3 hours under normal daylight conditions offering freedom from charge points. Higher top speeds could be reached by increasing motor power and greater ranges achieved by adding battery capacity.
Modelling work carried out demonstrated that in countries where solar irradiation is higher than 5 kWh/m2 throughout the year, solar electric cars can meet much of the transport needs that are currently being provided by highly polluting ICE vehicles.
The SPV1 prototype
SPV1 performed better than expected, achieving workable top speeds and a useful range. Its battery had a re-charge time of 3 hours under normal daylight conditions offering freedom from charge points. Higher top speeds could be reached by increasing motor power and greater ranges achieved by adding battery capacity.
Modelling work carried out demonstrated that in countries where solar irradiation is higher than 5 kWh/m2 throughout the year, solar electric cars can meet much of the transport needs that are currently being provided by highly polluting ICE vehicles.
The INTI is born
Encouraged by the performance of SPV1 and recognizing the commercial potential of a solar car, the pair founded Solar Transport Systems Inc and began work on a production vehicle. Ten years and over 7,000 engineering hours later the INTI was born. Named after the ancient Inca sun god, a prototype of the INTI is in pre-production testing. In 2023 the business moved to Florida and production is planned to start in 2024.
Meet Team INTI
Visionaries, Pioneers,
Game-changers
Julian Field
Founder and CEO
Jim Kay
Chief Operating Officer
Thank you to our Partners
University of Leeds
STS has been working in partnership with the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Leeds, Unted Kingdom on the chassis, drive train and mechanical systems of the INTI.
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Tech has been an asset to STS since fully moving our operations over to the United States. We have partnered up with them and their CAMID Facility to finalize our testing and building as we prepare for our final launch.
Vehicle Network
Solar Transport Systems is a member of the Niche Vehicle Network which is supported by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, Innovate UK, the Advanced Propulsion Centre and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is managed by Cenex.
Matteo Conti
Matteo is Senior Tutor in Vehicle Design at the Royal College of Art, London. Matteo is a board advisor to STS with a focus on vehicle aesthetics.
Check out some memories throughout the years
