Sun and Speed: Solar Auto Races
A little friendly competition fuels the solar auto challenge and helps advance alternative energy research. The goal is to design, build, and race vehicles that are entirely powered by the sun’s energy. Solar auto races have become extremely popular around the world; Australia, U.S., Japan, Europe, Malaysia, Taiwan, and South Africa all have their own versions. Here are just a few of the challenging races happening around the world:
World Solar Challenge
This is the landmark race of all challenges. Entrants must design and build a car that’s capable of crossing the immense continent of Australia, from Darwin to Adelaide, using only the sun as fuel. The event participants come from all over the world and include corporations and research and educational institutions.
2009 marks the 10th World Solar Challenge event. General Motors won first place in the very first event held in 1987, finishing the race in just 44 hours, with speeds up to 66.9 km/h (41.6 mph). Twenty-three cars entered that first race but it was General Motors that outshined and amazed everyone. The GM’s Sunraycer’s success was a major influence on the development of the GM electric vehicles. Other winners in past events include the University of Michigan and MIT. The fastest car so far won the race in 2005 with speeds up to 102.75 km/h (63.8 mph.)
Photo Credit: voxluna
The event showcases the development of advanced automotive technology and encourages alternatives to conventional automobiles. It is the premier forum for such technology and is the heart of the creative efforts of some of the best companies and engineering schools on the globe.
Global Green Challenge
This is a new event with its initial race planned for October 2009. The challenge was created to encourage and support innovations in alternative transportation technology beyond just solar power. The many types of participating vehicles will include hybrid, electric, solar, and low emissions.
North American Solar Challenge
This event is a biannual cross-country solar car race open to participants from all over the world. Past races have included 2200 mile stretches from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, and 2400 mile stretches from Austin, Texas to Calgary, Canada over eleven days. The challenge is a competition to design, build, and race solar powered cars in a cross-country time and distance rally.
American Solar Challenge promotes a hands-on opportunity for students and engineers to develop and demonstrate their technical and creative abilities.
Formula Sun Grand Prix
The Grand Prix is an annual event with a closed course at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas. This event serves as a qualifying event for the North American Solar Challenge and teams from all over the U.S. and Canada are invited to participate.
The event features full size solar cars that have been designed and built by teams of North American college students. The race is a 3 day event and challenges students to achieve educational and technological excellence.
Photo Credit: Beezum
South African Solar Challenge
Considering that South Africa has a lot of sun and has the second best road infrastructure in the world behind Germany, it’s an ideal place to host a solar race. A biannual event, the first SA Challenge, began in 2008.
The South A frican Solar Challenge is a 2-week race through the length of South Africa. As in all the other races listed above, teams need to design, engineer, build, and race their own solar powered vehicles through demanding terrain.
Photo Credit: Beezum
The next race is set for October 2010 between Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa.
Links:
North American Solar Challenge
Posted on April 10th in Solar News by Beth.