Northwestern University said the car -- NUsolar sc5, designed and built by a team of 40 undergraduates -- is being test-driven on campus in Evanston, Ill., and on rural roads in Wisconsin.

Team members will drive the to Texas next week to prepare for the challenge, which involves driving 2,400 miles from Plano, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta.

It has taken two years to create the car, which is powered by Sunpower A-300 solar cells, the university said Thursday in a release.