World Solar Challenge 2011: 3,000 kilometers across the Australian desert
Could solar-powered cars replace vehicles run on oil?It’s the ultimate test for solar-powered vehicles: a 3,000-kilometer highway race, crossing the desert from Darwin to Adelaide –- north to south across the continent.
For teams from 20 countries around the globe, it's the end of year-long projects.
A total of 37 teams made the starter’s gun in Darwin on Sunday for the 11th Veolia World Solar Challenge, with the aim of reaching Adelaide after four days of
a solar-powered high speeds through the outback.
In the first race back in 1987, the average speed of the winning vehicle was around 67 kph, although technology has brought that average speed up to around 95 kph.
The race coordinator, Chris Selwood, told the ABC that in the past such a race “was an adventure in adversity,” although now he expects 60 percent of the cars to make it to Adelaide.
Already 12 are out of the race, reported www.gizmag.com –- including Team Solaris from India and Korea’s Team Maniac -- after failing to make the checkpoint (at around sunset) south of Darwin in Katherine on Sunday evening.
25 cars remain in the sustainable version of "The Wacky, Wacky Races."
Japanese students lead the race into central Australia
Team Tokai, comprised of students from Okinawa, Japan, has led the field into central Australia with speeds up to 120 kph.
They were closely followed by the University of Michigan and the Dutch Nuon Solar teams, from The Netherlands. The Dutch have taken out four of the last five events.
Pier Van Zonneveld, team leader of Nuon, told the ABC that regulations had changed for this year’s race: instead of using space-grade gallium arsenide as solar cells, which are space-grade cells, all cars are using silicon, which has leveled the playing field.
Is solar energy the way of the future?
The drivers compare the experience to driving a high-speed go-cart.
They compare the cars to Formula One -– fit for a race, but not the shopping -- although, all the technologies they use could be adapted to everyday vehicles.
In a country where a carbon tax has just been passed and a mining tax on the way, it’s a timely reminder to car manufacturers that the best way to combat global warming is using a warm globe.
