JAE Sponsorship Helps UCI Zotsun Win Its First Award

University students tackle complex engineering challenges in pursuit of innovation, sustainability, and community.  A leading connector supplier is part of the team.

Last May, JAE announced its sponsorship of ZotSun, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) solar car project. Both the company and the students involved are reaping the benefits of this partnership. UCI ZotSun is a student-run interdisciplinary team of 60 undergraduates who work together to design, build, and race a solar car. Combining a passion for innovative engineering and sustainability, the team’s stated mission is to revolutionize zero-emission transportation.

The values of sustainability, innovation, and community are at the heart of ZotSun. As a rookie team, UCI debuted its car, the SolEater, at the Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025, earning the Electrical Capacitance Award and honoring the students’ technical excellence and teamwork.

In the Formula Sun Grand Prix, teams test their solar-powered vehicles on a closed circuit. They record the number of laps around the track they complete over three days, and the cars are assessed for the efficiency and performance of their design. The UCI students plan to compete in this event every year and progress to the American Solar Challenge, in which the cars race across a 1,500-2,000-mile route. Both events promote solar energy and sustainable transportation while providing hands-on learning opportunities for students.

UCI Zotsun solar car

The UCI Zotsun team is comprised of multiple subteams in three categories: Mechanical, Electrical, and Operations. Mechanical includes Chassis and Aerobody, which focuses on designing a lightweight, durable chassis that encapsulates all the subsystems and an aeroshell for optimized aerodynamics. Suspension is tasked with designing the front and rear suspension and the steering system. Human Interface oversees the mechanical systems that the driver interacts with—seat, driver harness, pedal box, braking systems, and dashboard. Under Electrical, High Voltage focuses on essential components for powering the vehicle, such as the motor, solar array, and battery pack, and Low Voltage handles embedded systems. Operations manages finance and marketing.

JAE’s MX34 Series is a non-waterproof connector series used in general purpose automotive electrical control units (ECU), battery system components for electric vehicles (EV), and battery management system applications (BMS)

JAE consults with the team, offering component suggestions based on the requirements, in much the same way it would support a customer. The students do not build a new car from scratch each year, but they are currently updating and upgrading a majority of the electrical systems. JAE’s connectors, including the MX34 Series, the LY Series, and the HB03 Series, are used on the various control boards for body electronics and battery management. In the future, the MX80 Series may be used as well for miscellaneous inline harness connections. “This is the same type of use case as electric vehicles designed and manufactured by a major OEM,” the company acknowledged.

LY Series (2.0 mm Pitch 2 Row Crimp Connector)

HB03 Series (Compact Cable In-line Connector)

JAE’s MX80 Series of compact waterproof automotive in-line connectors are used in, for example, side view mirrors, interior/exterior lighting, sunroof modules, body sensors, and peripheral devices.

In November, JAE visited UCI to meet some of the talented students behind the solar car project. “The team gave us an inspiring presentation on their current progress and future plans to enhance their solar car’s performance, including how they’re integrating JAE’s connectors into their design to push the boundaries of efficiency and reliability,” JAE stated.

Working with the UCI Solar Car Team has been a valuable experience for JAE. The partnership allows JAE’s engineers to see their products used in a real-world engineering application while supporting the development of the next generation of engineers. By providing connectors and technical resources, the company helps enable the team to build a reliable and competitive solar car.

At the same time, collaborating with the team gives JAE visibility within the university engineering community and demonstrates the performance and reliability of its products in demanding environments. It also creates opportunities to build relationships with talented students who may become future engineers in the industry. JAE has committed to continuing its support for ZotSun throughout 2026.

Visit the Preferred Supplier page for JAE to learn more about the company and its products.

Like this article? Check out our other articles on our Automotive Market Page, and our 2025  and 2026 Article Archive. 

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