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A sleek solar car, which uses the same amount of energy as a hairdryer, has won the American Solar Car Challenge for the fifth consecutive time.

Dubbed Quantum, the University of Michigan car won the eight-day, 1,700-mile (2,735 km) as it travelled through seven states using solar power.

The event started on July 20 in Austin, Texas and ended on Monday in Minneapolis.

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A sleek solar car, which uses the same amount of energy to power a hairdryer, has won the American Solar Car Challenge for the fifth consecutive time

As Quantum approached the finish line around noon, teammates cheered around the sidelines while race crew member Mikhail Gorelik waved the checkered flag.

Michigan won the race despite an early 20- or 30-minute setback when the motor failed and needed to be swapped. Five of the 22 other teams passed Michigan in the process. 

Electricity produced by the solar panels of the car were stored in a pack of lithium-ion batteries and used to power the small direct current motor mounted at the rear hub.

The unit only produces three horsepower, but that was enough to allow Quantum to race at an average 60 miles per hour.

Dubbed Quantum, the University of Michigan car won the eight-day, 1,700-mile (2,735km) as it travelled through seven states using solar power

The event started July 20 in Austin, Texas and ended on Monday in Minneapolis. As Quantum approached the finish line around noon, teammates cheered around the sidelines while race crew member Mikhail Gorelik waved the checkered flag

To ensure a level playing field in the United States, all teams relied on 516 photovoltaic panels, or solar cells, made in America and patched together in Germany.

But each entrant had to develop their own Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) system, which connects inverters, battery chargers and other devices to optimise the car's performance.

The skill and key to winning wasunderstanding the course and detecting the angles of the sun's rays during a day's racing, starting at 9am and ending at 6pm local time, with each team using four drivers.

The Quantum car had previously taken third in the World Solar Challenge in Australia in 2011 and first in the American race in 2012.

It is the team's 11th vehicle and car weighs in at just around 320lbs (145 kg) without a driver.

The 16-foot-long (4.8 metre) Quantum stretches about 10 inches (25.4cm) beyond the length of an original 1965 Ford Mustang and is around 37 inches (93cm) tall.

The car previously took 3rd in World Solar Challenge in Australia in 2011 and first in the American race in 2012

The 16-foot-long (4.8 metre) Quantum stretches about 10 inches (25.4cm) beyond the length of an original 1965 Ford Mustang and is around 37 inches (93cm) tall

The road up to Minneapolis had not been an easy one for the team. For the entire day, the University of Minnesota challenged Michigan to be first across the line.

Throughout the trip, the two teams moved between first and second, even driving alongside one another on a few occasions.

In the end, Quantum prevailed, defeating Minnesota to win the stage by a mere 45 seconds. 

'This isn't just a win,' said Pavan Naik, project manager and junior industrial and operations engineer. 

'It's a win after one failure after another. We've learned so much from that - how to work as a team and how to help each other out. I'm excited for the next World Solar Challenge.' 

Quantum is the University of Michigan's 11th vehicle and car weighs in at 320lbs (145 kg) without a driver