What might mobility look like in a city where technology, green energy, and artificial intelligence work together? From October 6 to 11, at the Bucharest Auto Show & Accessories, visitors can discover Romanian solutions for the city of the future—ranging from a solar-powered vehicle to smart mobility projects, robotics, and technologies developed for more efficient, less polluting transport.
One of the main attractions will be SOLIS Hyperion, the first solar car developed by students from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. The car will be on display at the stand of the Scientific Senate of the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania. SOLIS Hyperion represents the latest generation of solar vehicles created by the SOLIS team at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. The project began in 2018 and now brings together over 40 students from fields such as mechanics, electronics, software, aerodynamics, and industrial design. In 2025, Hyperion represented Romania at the prestigious Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia—one of the most important international competitions for solar vehicles—traversing the Australian continent from Darwin to Adelaide. The team covered a route of over 3,000 kilometers through the Outback in just six days, powered entirely by solar energy. Hyperion demonstrates how research, engineering, and renewable energy can be combined in a vehicle developed entirely within an academic setting. The SOLIS team is also part of the “100 Young People for Romania’s Development” national campaign, conducted by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania.
However, Hyperion’s presence at the Bucharest Auto Show is just one of the experiences prepared for the public. Projects, prototypes, and technological solutions will be showcased at the Scientific Senate’s stand, and visitors will be able to take part in interactive robot activities, workshops, and demonstrations focused on technologies capable of transforming cities in the coming years.
The SAB 2026 Scholarship will also be awarded during the Bucharest Auto Show & Accessories event, following a national competition now in its ninth edition. Centered on the theme “Smart Mobility for a Green Future,” the competition highlights ideas and projects that offer concrete solutions to the challenges facing modern cities—ranging from traffic and pollution to energy consumption, safety, and smart transport alternatives. The top project will be awarded the SAB Scholarship, worth €5,000, and will have the opportunity to be presented to the public and industry specialists attending the Bucharest Auto Show.
The need for such solutions is becoming increasingly apparent. In 2025, Bucharest recorded an average congestion level of 62.5%, with average travel speeds dropping to approximately 14 km/h during peak hours. In a single year, a driver lost around 171 hours due to traffic. In the evening, covering just 10 kilometers across the capital took, on average, over 45 minutes. Paradoxically, Romania does not even rank among the European nations with the highest number of cars per capita. In 2024, there were 444 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to the European Union average of 578. The figures indicate that the mobility issue is not solely about the number of vehicles but also involves infrastructure, traffic management, public transport, and available alternatives. Against this backdrop, solutions for electric and alternative mobility, smart infrastructure, public transport, micromobility, and digital traffic management technologies are becoming increasingly important for European cities. Projects entered in the SAB 2026 Grant competition propose solutions to some of the most significant urban mobility challenges—ranging from energy-efficient vehicles, clean energy, and smart charging to micromobility, public transport, digital traffic management, and safety. The winning project will receive the SAB Grant, worth €5,000, and will be showcased to the public and professionals from the automotive, technology, and research sectors at the Bucharest Auto Show & Accessories (SAB).
From October 6 to 11 at Romexpo, the SAB Grant initiative transforms the stand of the Scientific Senate of the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania into a “city of the future” laboratory—a space where solar energy, artificial intelligence, robotics, and the ideas of young Romanians evolve from concepts into tangible solutions that can be viewed, tested, and further developed.
