World Solar Challenge

Four days into the 2011 World Solar Challenge and things have proven even more challenging than usual for the participants. Teams have had to contend with huge road-hogging trucks, cars catching alight and bushfires that saw the race route closed by police, leaving the top three teams cooling their heels at an unscheduled stop at the end of day two while both the vehicles and the participants recharged their batteries.  Read More

The 11th World Solar Challenge got underway on Sunday with participants starting out from Darwin, Northern Territory, on a 3,000-kilometer (1,864 mile) solar-powered car race across the red center of Australia. The start follows three days of scrutineering and a day of qualifying that saw Solar Team Twente from the Netherlands take pole position in a field of 37 teams from 20 countries. But the margin was tight, with the team’s 21Connect solar car coming in just 0.00.3 seconds ahead of fellow compatriots and four time winners, the Nuon Solar Team.  Read More

The Nuon Solar Team has revealed its lightest solar powered vehicle yet. Not only is the 145 kg Nuna6 around 10 percent lighter than its predecessor Nuna5 and half the weight of the original Nuna which competed in 2001, it is also 15 inches shorter and has 10 percent less air resistance. This month's unveiling comes as the team of students from the Delft University of Technology prepares for a tilt at victory in the 2011 World Solar Challenge - a biennial 1800 mile race through the heart of Australia that has become one of the world's premiere showcases for these incredibly efficient vehicles and the technologies that underpin them.  Read More

The biennial World Solar Challenge is the oldest and most high profile solar car race in the world, a grueling test of endurance and innovative engineering that sees teams take part in an epic 1800 mile race across the Australian outback. In 2009, the Cambridge University team placed 14th with its Bethany solar powered vehicle after being let down by a bad battery. Now, they're almost ready to make their comeback for the October race with an updated version of Bethany - the Endeavour.  Read More

Japan's Tokai Challenger solar vehicle has taken victory against a strong international field in the 2009 Global Green Challenge. After covering almost 1860 miles (3000km) in four days across Australia's baking red center, the entry from Japan's Tokai University crossed the finish line at 3.39pm local time. The team's run was nearly flawless, reporting only a single flat tire with just over 100 miles of the course to race and the win breaks a string of four consecutive victories by the Dutch Nuon team, which is currently battling it out for second place against University of Michigan Solar Car Team.  Read More

This month dozens of competitors will gather in Darwin, Australia, for the start of the Global Green Challenge. This 1860 mile (3000km) showcase of state-of-the-art transport technologies pits environmentally friendly vehicles against the heart of the Outback as they race south towards the finish line in Adelaide. The event has evolved from the famous World Solar Challenge and now includes two classes: one for solar-powered vehicles and an "Eco Challenge" for other types of electric, hybrid and alternative fuel production and experimental vehicles.  Read More

The team that won the World Solar Challenge for the last four years running has unveiled its latest solar racer. Like its predecessor, the Nuna5 from Delft University's Nuon Solar Team is covered with six square meters of solar panels but is 30kg lighter at a super low 160kg excluding driver.  Read More

October 16, 2007 The 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge kicks off this Sunday October 21. An established platform for the promotion and development of sustainable energy in transport, the biennial race runs for seven days and covers a distance of 3000 km (nearly 1900 miles) from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia. This year 40 teams from across the globe will compete including the Avivasolarcar, a vehicle capable of achieving speeds of up to 75kmh (47mph) while emitting no carbon dioxide and using less electricity than a toaster.  Read More