It may look like a spaceship or a giant futuristic surfboard on wheels, but in reality, PrISUm Fusion is the newest solar car designed and created by Iowa State’s Team PrISUm.

During the unveiling ceremony in the atrium of the Molecular Biology Building on Saturday, Mark Kushner, dean of the College of Engineering, said the car would be entered in the North American Solar Challenge. The race — the world’s longest solar car race — starts in Austin, Texas, on July 17 and finishes in Calgary, Alberta, on July 27.

Team PrISUm’s adviser, James Hill, said many members of the team are able to travel with the solar car and its drivers. Because the race is on primary roads traveling at about 60 mph, it requires a small caravan of vehicles to ensure safety and maintenance. Hill said there is a lead van, chase van, an observation car that makes sure the solar car takes the proper route and follows rules, and a semitrailer that functions as a rolling dormitory for the team.

Kate Muhlbauer, assistant project director for the team, said the car is street legal and has approval from the Department of Transportation.

Hill said he was the adviser to the first Team PrISUm when it was started in 1989 by the Engineering Honor Society to make and race a solar car, but quickly became an “all-university” project.

Justin Steinlage, project director of the team, said he became involved with Team PrISUm his freshman year.

After the last car — the PrISUm Spectrum — raced, he wanted to become more involved. He said he even lightened his workload so he could have more time to devote to being project director.

There are about 20 members on the team and each devoted countless hours toward fund raising, research and construction of the car to make it better than the past seven cars Team PrISUm has entered, Steinlage said.

Muhlbauer said the car has a different body design and is a lot lighter than past cars.

Steinlage said the car has new technology that is more efficient and less expensive.

“We are trying to plan for all of the adjustments before the race,” Steinlage said.

He said the team wants a lot less maintenance than Spectrum needed. He said Spectrum was not done on time, which meant it was not tested on time and the bugs had to be worked out during the race.

Problems with fund raising — including a $10,000 lump sum from the Government of the Student Body — set back the testing of last year’s car.

The club had a hard time purchasing materials, and spent more time than necessary trying to raise funds.

“GSB kind of snubbed us,” Steinlage said of the 2003 car. “We weren’t able to purchase things on time.”

Steinlage said GSB contributed $10,000 in previous years, but now contributes nothing. Team PrISUm had to come up with about $350,000 to create Fusion, he said.

Fund raising is a major priority for the team, he said. Team members started by making a list of all the companies that might have an interest in solar racing and called to see if they would contribute.

He said the team goes to public events like the Iowa State Fair to look for smaller sponsors, and also attends events at high schools and middle schools.

“If we get invited, we almost always go,” Steinlage said.

Hill said the team has worked very hard and is going for reliability and performance.

“I think they have a good car and a good chance of doing well,” he said.