KALAMAZOO (WKZO) -- The students at WMU’s Engineering School unveiled their latest version of the Sunseeker Solar Car Tuesday for a race that will bring them up the east coast through Michigan on their way to the finish line in St. Paul, MN.

One challenge facing the WMU team is the extreme heat waves coming across the Midwest. "It could potentially melt the battery", Byron Izenbaard, Sunseeker team leader, told WKZO, "The car does not like the 90 plus temperatures." Watch above for a full interview from Izenbaard and a look at the Sunseeker 2012. 

The race starts on July 14 and takes 8 days to complete traveling through 8 states. The race will make a stop in Kalamazoo on the 17th.