The stage is set for this year’s World Solar Challenge where 42 teams will drive their high-tech cars 3,000 kilometres from Darwin to Adelaide – powered only by the sun.
“This year the World Solar Challenge will focus on engaging and inspiring some of Australia’s brightest young minds who hold the key to making sustainable green technology a mainstream possibility,” said CEO of the South Australian Motor Sports Board, Mark Warren.
21 countries will be represented in the race and Australia will be fielding 3 teams.
The Aurora team will be racing again this year and has been a contestant in every World Solar Challenge; boasting an impressive record of record of 1 win, 4 seconds, 1 third, 1 fifth and 1 sixth. The current Aurora car is powered by a CSIRO/Marand in-wheel electric motor, Sunpower silicon solar cells and Saehan Enertech lithium-polymer batteries.
UNSW Solar team’s Sunswift Ivy Mk2 will be rolling on a set of new lightweight carbon fibre wheels for the race. Ivy was originally built in 2009, the 3rd vehicle that Sunswift had ever designed and built from scratch. Ivy features Sunpower A300 silicon solar cells, CSIRO Brushless DC in-wheel motor technology and Panasonic NCR18650A lithium ion batteries.
TAFE South Australia will be competing with its new car, the Solar Spirit.
During the event, satellite tracking will be in place for each vehicle and interested parties will be able to follow the progress of each team.
The World Solar Challenge has been held since 1987. Originally occurring every three years, the race is now run every 2 years.
The last race in 2009 was won by Japan’s Tokai University’s “Tokai Challenger”, which achieved an average speed 100.54 km/h. The last time an Australian team won the event was in 1999 when the Aurora team averaged a speed of 72.96 km/h.
The race commences on Sunday, October 16.
