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World Solar Challenge To Start In Less Than Two Weeks

Posted by timothy on from the may-the-sun-shine-upon-you dept.

SustainableJeroen writes "On October 6th, the 2013 World Solar Challenge will start. This year, 43 teams (more than ever before) from 24 countries around the world will compete in this biannual 3000 km road event, which runs from Darwin to Adelaide. In both 2009 and 2011, Tokai University (Japan), Nuon Solar Team (the Netherlands) and University of Michigan Solar Car Team (USA) finished in first, second and third position, respectively. Who will win this year? We'll know for sure on October 13th, the end of the event. Team details (photos, car specifications, links to websites) can be found here."

5 of 26 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Wow. by Cryacin · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm just waiting for a car that runs on my over inflated sense of self satisfaction.

    --
    Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
  2. Roadworthy class by justthinkit · · Score: 2
    Chick magnet class - minimum 2-seater, seats must be able to recline.
    .

    Mother-in-law class - rumble seat, noise-cancelling headphones, dummy steering wheel & brakes.

    Oxford professor class - cigarette lighter/pipe-cleaner, convertible, automatic transmission.

    And more seriously how about a Roadworthy class -- minimum ground clearance, lights, mirrors, a door you can climb in and out from. And maybe batteries so you can drive it when the rains come.

    --
    I come here for the love
    1. Re:Roadworthy class by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "A road worthy class might be interesting eventually but we are not there."

      Actually we are there already:
      Solar-powered car from TU/e officially allowed on public roads:
      http://www.tue.nl/en/university/news-and-press/news/solar-powered-car-from-tue-officially-allowed-on-public-roads/

      From the article:
      "Stella, the world’s first and only solar-powered family car, has been approved to use the public roads in the Netherlands by the Government Road Transport Agency (RDW). With this official approval, the team from TU/e have proved that Stella is a fully roadworthy vehicle."

  3. Re:Wow. by __aaltlg1547 · · Score: 2

    There's this: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/projectone#model/madone7seriesteamedition

      Or if you must have a car, you can go with a Tesla, which is mostly powered by self-satisfaction but also requires electricity, which you can at least arrange to buy from (appropriately) a wind farm, e.g. http://www.communityenergyinc.com/.

  4. Re:Nice, put unobtainable by tulcod · · Score: 2

    There is the new cruiser class, where contestants are judged not on their speed but their practicality by a jury.

    Setting clear price requirements is very difficult since man-hours can make up for costs of individual parts, and most of the teams consist of groups of students (10-30 each) working full-time for a year or more on just that one car. Either way, $10,000 is way below what you need for a serious solar car (you can easily spend that kind of money on the solar panels alone).