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57-569: The World Solar Challenge ( WSC ), since 2013 named Bridgestone World Solar Challenge , is an international event for solar powered cars driving 3000 kilometres through the Australian outback . With the exception of a four-year gap between the 2019 and 2023 events, owing to the cancellation of the 2021 event, the World Solar Challenge is typically held every two years. The course is over 3,022 kilometres (1,878 miles) through

114-429: A free horizontal canopy gives 2-3 times the surface area of a vehicle with integrated cells but offers better cooling of the cells and shading of the riders. There are also thin flexible solar arrays in development. Solar arrays on solar cars are mounted and encapsulated very differently from stationary solar arrays. Solar arrays on solar cars are usually mounted using industrial grade double-sided adhesive tape right onto

171-471: A long-range tank and additional buoyancy. Tholstrup devised the concept of the World Solar Challenge , after, in 1983, having made the first transcontinental journey in a solar-powered car , crossing Australia in " The Quiet Achiever ". Tholstrup shared driving duties with Larry Perkins , who, with his brother Garry, had designed and built the vehicle. Tholstrup was made a Member of

228-629: A school boy in his native Denmark. He emigrated to Australia in 1964, settling initially in Darwin where he found employment as a buffalo hunter, schoolteacher, miner and stockman. In 1970, Tholstrup became the first person to circumnavigate the Australian continent in an open power boat. His record, set between May and August 1970, starting and ending in Sydney, was all the more remarkable for having been achieved in an open 5.2 meters (17 feet) boat,

285-513: A solar car which can recharge more quickly, due to materials used in the solar panels. Chinese solar panel manufacturer Hanergy plans to build and sell solar cars equipped with lithium-ion batteries to consumers in China. Hanergy says that five to six hours of sunlight should allow the cars' thin-film solar cells to generate 8–10 kWh of energy a day, allowing the car to travel about 80 km (50 mi) on solar power alone. Maximum range

342-611: A solar panel to a 1912 Baker Electric, and unveiled the first solar car that could carry passengers. The solar array consists of hundreds of solar cells converting sunlight into electricity. In order to construct an array, PV cells are placed together to form modules which are placed together to form an array. The larger arrays in use can produce over 2 kilowatts (2.6 hp). The solar array can be mounted in six ways: The choice of solar array geometry involves an optimization between power output, aerodynamic resistance and vehicle mass, as well as practical considerations. For example,

399-518: A standard Caribbean Cougar runabout, which he named Tom Thumb . The boat, powered by a single 80 hp Mercury main outboard engine and with a fuel capacity over 100 gallons, was purchased with funds raised selling his sports car. He named it after the tiny boat sailed by Matthew Flinders and George Bass in their New South Wales coastal survey of 1796. In 1972, Tholstrup rode a Yamaha RT 360 two stroke motorcycle across Australia from Rockhampton to Perth with minimal supplies and support. This included

456-406: Is a bi-annual two-week race of solar-powered cars through the length and breadth of South Africa. Teams will have to build their own cars, design their own engineering systems and race those same machines through the most demanding terrain that solar cars have ever seen. The 2008 race proved that this event can attract the interest of the public, and that it has the necessary international backing from

513-478: Is about 350 km (217 mi). In June 2019 the solar-electric Lightyear One was announced, since renamed the Lightyear 0 . Designed by former engineers from Tesla and Ferrari , the car's hood and roof are composed of solar panels. The vehicle also charges on regular electric power as well as fast-charging stations. In September 2021, the company Lightyear was reported to have raised enough money to bring

570-701: Is an international competition that takes place in Australia. Some other competitions include the American Solar Challenge and the United Solar Challenge. As of December 2022, only one solar car had reached production, the Lightyear 0 , but at the limited delivery rate of one car a week. In January 2023 the company halted vehicle manufacture and sales, and the vehicle maker's production company, Atlas Technologies B.V., requested bankruptcy protection. The Aptera 's production

627-586: Is being acquired and fundraising continues. In July 2020, the German car manufacturer Audi signed an MOU with an Israeli start-up Apollo-Power for development plan to incorporate the company proprietary lightweight flexible panels into Car parts. Apollo-Power's Agenda is to turn every car in the world to become Solar. In 2019 the Squad Solar City Car by Squad Mobility was announced and in May 2022 it

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684-767: Is currently held by the Sky Ace TIGA from the Ashiya University . The record of 91.332 km/h (56.75 mph) was set on 20 August 2014 at the Shimojishima Airport , in Miyakojima , Okinawa , Japan. The previous record was held by the University of New South Wales with the car Sunswift IV . Its 25-kilogram (55 lb) battery was removed so the vehicle was powered only by its solar panels. The record of 88.8 km/h (55.2 mph)

741-514: Is expected to start in 2024. Solar cars depend on a solar array that uses photovoltaic cells (PV cells) to convert sunlight into electricity. Unlike solar thermal energy which converts solar energy to heat, PV cells directly convert sunlight into electricity. When sunlight (photons) strike PV cells, they excite electrons and allow them to flow, creating an electric current. PV cells are made of semiconductor materials such as silicon and alloys of indium, gallium and nitrogen. Crystalline silicon

798-604: Is the most common material used and has an efficiency rate of 15–25%. The first model solar car invented was a tiny 15-inch vehicle created by General Motors employee, William G. Cobb. Designated the Sunmobile , he displayed it in 1955 at the Chicago, Powerama convention. It was made up of 12 selenium photovoltaic cells and a small electric motor. In 1962 the International Rectifier Company added

855-918: The Belgian Punch Powertrain Solar Team's Umicar Infinity placed second. The Adventure Class was added this year, run under the old rules, and won by Japanese Ashiya team's Tiga . The Japanese Ashiya team's Tiga won the Adventure Class, run under the old rules, with an average speed of 93.53 km/h (58.12 mph). The 2009 WSC was won by the " Tokai Challenger ", built by the Tokai University Solar Car Team in Japan with an average speed of 100.54 km/h (62.47 mph). The longtime reigning champion Nuon Solar Team's Nuna 5 finished in second place. The Sunswift IV built by students at

912-593: The University of Michigan on the last day of the event to take home the bronze. The Adventure Class was won by the Houston High School solar car team from Houston , Mississippi , United States. The 2017 WSC was held on 8–15 October, featuring the same classes as 2015. The Dutch NUON team won again in the Challenger class, which concluded on 2017-10-12, and in the Cruiser Class, the winner

969-629: The University of New South Wales , Australia was the winner of the Silicon-based Solar Cell Class, while Japan's Osaka Sangyo University 's OSU Model S won the Adventure class. In the 2011 WSC Tokai University took their second title with an updated " Tokai Challenger " averaging 91.54 km/h (56.88 mph), and finishing just an hour before Nuna 6 of the Delft University of Technology . The challenge

1026-538: The 2005 WSC the top finishers were the same for the third consecutive event as Nuon's Nuna 3 won with a record average speed of 102.75 km/h (63.85 mph), and Aurora was the runner-up. The 2007 WSC saw the Dutch Nuon Solar team score their fourth successive victory with Nuna 4 in the Challenge Class, averaging 90.07 km/h (55.97 mph) under the new, more restrictive rules, while

1083-449: The 4,052 km (2,518 mi) between Sydney , New South Wales and Perth , Western Australia in 20 days. That was the precursor of the WSC. After the 4th event, he sold the rights to the state of South Australia and leadership of the event was assumed by Chris Selwood. The event was held every three years until 1999 when it was switched to every two years. The first edition of

1140-689: The Agoria Solar Team from KU Leuven University won. Starting in 2007, the WSC has multiple classes. After the German team of Bochum University of Applied Sciences competed with a four-wheeled, multi-seat car, the BoCruiser (in 2009), in 2013 a radically new "Cruiser Class" was introduced, stimulating the technological development of practically usable, and ideally road-legal, multi-seater solar vehicles. Since its inception, Solar Team Eindhoven's four- and five-seat Stella solar cars from Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) won

1197-534: The Australian Outback , from Darwin , Northern Territory , to Adelaide , South Australia . The event was created to foster the development of solar-powered vehicles . The WSC attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations , although some are fielded by high schools . It has a 32-year history spanning fifteen events, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987. Initially held once every three years,

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1254-409: The Australian continent in a 16-foot (4.9 m) open boat. At a later stage in his life he became involved in various competitions with fuel-saving cars and trucks. Already in the 1980s, he became aware of the necessity to explore sustainable energy as a replacement for the limited available fossil fuel. Sponsored by BP, he designed the world's first solar car, called The Quiet Achiever , and traversed

1311-646: The Cruiser Class in all four events so far. Remarkable technological progress has been achieved since the General Motors led, highly experimental, single-seat Sunraycer prototype first won the WSC with an average speed of 66.9 km/h (41.6 mph). Once competing cars became steadily more capable to match or exceed legal maximum speeds on the Australian highway, the challenge rules were consistently made more demanding and challenging — for instance after Honda 's Dream car first won with an average speed exceeding 55 mph (88.5 km/h) in 1996. In 2005

1368-517: The Cruiser class, Solar Team Eindhoven won their fourth consecutive title. Despite multiple incidents on the road, Team Sonnenwagen Aachen managed to beat other teams and finished in 6th position. Several teams had mishaps. Vattenfall was leading when their car Nuna X caught fire. The driver was uninjured, but the vehicle was destroyed. It was the first no-finish for that team in 20 years. Others were badly affected by strong winds. Dutch team Twente

1425-419: The Cruiser division was won by UNSW Sunswift with a score of 91.1. Uniquely, no Cruisers were able to finish the race this year. Many of the leading teams faced trouble during the competition. Dutch team Top Dutch raced on a perovskite-tandem solar array damaged from testing in the month leading up to race. Michigan experienced electrical issues during qualifying and had to start last. German team Sonnenwagen

1482-647: The Dutch Nuna team were the first to beat an average speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The 2017 Cruiser class winner, the five-seat Stella Vie vehicle, was able to carry an average of 3.4 occupants at an average speed of 69 km/h (43 mph). Like its two predecessors, the vehicle was successfully road registered by the Dutch team, further emphasizing the great progress in real-world compliance and practicality that has been achieved. The WSC held its 30th anniversary event on 8–15 October 2017. The objective of

1539-619: The FIA. Late in September, all entrants will take off from Pretoria and make their way to Cape Town via the N1, then drive along the coast to Durban, before climbing the escarpment on their way back to the finish line in Pretoria 10 days later. In 2008 the event was endorsed by International Solarcar Federation (ISF), Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) making it

1596-602: The South Australian Government confirmed the cancellation of the 2021 staging of the event. While the COVID-19 pandemic was not explicitly cited as the reason, the "complexities of international border closures" affecting Australia at the time appear to be the primary reason for the event's cancellation. The same statement also noted the next event would take place in October 2023 - at least 962 days from

1653-596: The World Solar Challenge was run in 1987 when the winning entry, GM 's Sunraycer won with an average speed of 67 km/h (42 mph). Ford Australia 's "Sunchaser" came in second. The " Solar Resource ", which came in 7th overall, was first in the Private Entry category. The 1990 WSC was won by the "Spirit of Biel", built by Biel School of Engineering and Architecture in Switzerland followed by Honda in second place. Video coverage here. The 1993 WSC

1710-413: The batteries as much as possible in periods of daylight when the car is not driving. To capture as much solar energy as possible, the solar panels are generally directed such that these are perpendicular to the incident sun rays. Sometimes the whole solar array is tilted for this purpose. The idea for the competition originates from Danish-born adventurer Hans Tholstrup . He was the first to circumnavigate

1767-569: The car's body. The arrays are encapsulated using thin layers of Tedlar. Some solar cars use gallium arsenide solar cells, with efficiencies around thirty percent. Other solar cars use silicon solar cells, with efficiencies around twenty percent. The battery pack in a typical solar car is sufficient to allow the car to go 250 miles (400 km) without sun, and allow the car to continuously travel at speeds of 60 mph (97 km/h). The motors used in solar cars typically generate about 2 or 3 horsepower, yet experimental light solar cars may attain

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1824-402: The challenge is to promote the innovation of solar-powered cars . It is a design competition at its core, and every team/car that successfully crosses the finish line is considered successful. Teams from universities and enterprises participate. In 2015, 43 teams from 23 countries competed in the challenge. Efficient balancing of power resources and power consumption is the key to success during

1881-399: The challenge. At any moment in time, the optimal driving speed depends on the weather forecast and the remaining capacity of the batteries. The team members in the escort cars will continuously remotely retrieve data from the solar car about its condition and use these data as input for prior developed computer programs to work out the best driving strategy. It is equally important to charge

1938-496: The creation of the Cruiser Class by racing more practical solar cars in previous WSC events. The Australian team, the University of New South Wales solar racing team Sunswift was the fastest competitor to complete the route, but was awarded third place overall after points were awarded for 'practicality' and for carrying passengers. In the Challenger Class, the Dutch team from Delft University of Technology took back

1995-441: The date of announcement, and resulting in a four-year gap between events. Registered teams should receive a full refund of all fees. The 2023 World Solar Challenge was held from October 22-29. At the beginning of the race, 31 teams were participating, with 23 in the Challenger division and 8 in the Cruiser division. The Challenger division was won by defending champions Innoptus (formerly Agoria) with an average speed of 88.2km/h, and

2052-659: The event became biennial from the turn of the century. Since 2001 the WSC was won seven times out of ten efforts by the Nuna team and cars of the Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands . The Tokai Challenger , built by the Tokai University of Japan, was able to win 2009 and 2011. In the most recent editions (2019 & 2023), the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team formerly known as

2109-448: The fifth day of the competition, only 4 teams (Innoptus, Twente, Brunel, and Michigan) had finished the course, and by the official end of timing, only 12 teams made it to the finish line successfully. Solar powered car Solar cars combine technology typically used in the aerospace , bicycle , alternative energy and automotive industries. The design of solar vehicles always emphasizes energy efficiency to make maximum use of

2166-742: The first Solar Race to receive endorsement from these 3 organizations. There are other distance races, such as Suzuka , Phaethon , WGC (WSR/JISFC/WSBR) and the World Solar Rally in Taiwan . Suzuka and WGC is a yearly track race in Japan and Phaethon was part of the Cultural Olympiad in Greece right before the 2004 Olympics . Guinness World Records recognize a land speed record for vehicles powered only by solar panels. This record

2223-548: The first unassisted solo crossing of the Simpson Desert via the French Line. In 1975, Hans Tholstrup flew a Grumman Trainer fixed wing aircraft solo around the world. [1] Twenty-nine years after setting his circumnavigation record, Tholstrup took to the sea again in another daring small powerboat voyage, this time from Darwin to Japan, in another 17-footer, a production Haines Signature 540 half-cabin fitted with

2280-425: The latest in their series of cruiser cars. In the Challenger Class, the team from Delft University of Technology retained the title with Nuna 8 and an average speed of 91.75 km/h (57.01 mph), while their Dutch counterparts, the University of Twente , who led most of the challenge, finished just 8 minutes behind them in second place, making 2015 the closest finish in WSC history. Tokai University passed

2337-423: The limited amount of energy they can receive from sunlight. Most solar cars have been built for the purpose of solar car races . However several prototypes of solar cars designed for use on public roads have been designed and built. There are various solar car competitions around the world that are generally partaken by collegiate and company teams. The most notable competitions is the World Solar Challenge , which

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2394-469: The most recent race due to teams reaching the regulated speed limits. The most recent American Solar Challenge took place from Independence , Missouri to Twin Falls , Idaho from July 9 to July 16, 2022. The Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge is an annual solar-powered car race for high school students. The event attracts teams from around the world, but mostly from American high schools. The race

2451-524: The same speed as a typical family car (100 mph (160 km/h)). Two solar car races are the World Solar Challenge and the American Solar Challenge, overland road rally-style competitions contested by a variety of university and corporate teams. The World Solar Challenge features a field of competitors from around the world who race to cross the Australian continent , over a distance of 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi). Speeds of

2508-567: The team from Western Sydney University out of the challenge. The driver of Agoria from Belgium escaped injury when their vehicle was "uprooted" at 100 km/h (62 mph) by severe winds, but still went on to win the Challenger class. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia the WSC closed entries three months earlier than normal, on 18 December 2020. They were then to "… review all current government measures relating to social distancing, density and contact tracing, international travel restrictions and isolation requirements." On 12 February 2021,

2565-449: The title with Nuna 7 and an average speed of 90.71 km/h (56.36 mph), while defending champions Tokai University finished second after an exciting close competition, which saw a 10–30 minute distance, though they drained the battery in final stint due to bad weather and finished some 3 hours later; an opposite situation of the previous challenge in 2011. The Adventure Class was won by Aurora's Aurora Evolution . The 2015 WSC

2622-587: The vehicle to limited production, at a cost of €149,000, delivering the first units in 2022. In August 2019, Aptera Motors announced a funding campaign for a solar-powered, very efficient "Never Charge" EV, the Aptera , with up to a 1000-mile range. That funding campaign was successful and the first Aptera prototype was shown and the EV launched on December 4, 2020. As of July 2023, three generations of prototypes have been built and shown, production equipment and tooling

2679-478: The vehicles have steadily increased. For example, the high speeds of 2005 race participants led to the rules being changed for solar cars starting in the 2007 race and 2014 also. The American Solar Challenge , previously known as the 'North American Solar Challenge' and 'Sunrayce USA', features mostly collegiate teams racing in timed intervals in the United States and Canada. This race also changed rules for

2736-408: Was blown off the road just outside of Port Agusta and had to withdraw due to new regulations. Tokai had to stop for several hours on Day 4 to repair their car after sustaining damage from crossing a cattle grid. Kogakuin had consistent problems with their MPPT charge controller, and reported in an Instagram post that their panels were generating less than half the power than they should have been. On

2793-453: Was finally presented in the Media. The Squad Solar City Car is the first Solar Micro Car for (sub)urban use. Hans Tholstrup Hans Jeppe Tholstrup AM (born 8 November 1944) is an Australian adventurer who was the first person to circumnavigate the Australian continent in an open power boat. The seeds of Tholstrup's adventurous streak were planted by meeting Thor Heyerdahl as

2850-701: Was first held in 1995. Each event is the end product of a two-year education cycle launched by the Winston Solar Car Team. In odd-numbered years, the race is a road course that starts at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas; the end of the course varies from year to year. In even-numbered years, the race is a track race around the Texas Motor Speedway. Dell has sponsored the event since 2002. The South African Solar Challenge

2907-637: Was held on 15–25 October with the same classes as the 2013 challenge. In the Cruiser Class, the winner was once again Solar Team Eindhoven's Stella Lux from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands with an average speed of 76.73 km/h (47.68 mph), while the second place team was Kogakuin University from Japan who was the first to cross the finish line, but did not receive as many points for passenger-kilometers and practicality. Bochum took 3rd place this year with

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2964-433: Was leading the journey at 100 km/h (62 mph), when their car was forced off the road by winds and rolled over. The driver was taken to hospital. Within 30 minutes team Sonnenwagen Aachen was also blown off the road north of Coober Pedy , the driver was not hurt. An 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limit was then imposed by event officials, lifted when conditions improved. The day before, wind damage to solar panels put

3021-599: Was marred by delays caused by wildfires . The 2013 WSC featured the introduction of the Cruiser Class, which comprised more 'practical' solar cars with 2–4 occupants. The inaugural winner was Solar Team Eindhoven's Stella from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands with an average speed of 74.52 km/h (46.30 mph), while second place was taken by the PowerCore SunCruiser vehicle from team Hochschule Bochum in Germany, who inspired

3078-474: Was once again Solar Team Eindhoven, from the Netherlands as well. The 2019 WSC was held from 13 to 20 October. 53 teams from 24 countries entered the competition, featuring the same three classes, Challenger (30 teams), Cruiser (23 teams) and Adventure. In the Challenger class, Agoria Solar Team (formerly Punch Powertrain) won for the first time. Tokai University Solar Car Team finished in second place. In

3135-502: Was set on 7 January 2011 at the naval air base HMAS  Albatross in Nowra , breaking the record previously held by the General Motors car Sunraycer of 78.3 kilometres per hour (48.7 mph). The record takes place over a flying 500 metres (1,600 ft) stretch, and is the average of two runs in opposite directions. The first solar family car was built in 2013. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University , have also developed

3192-484: Was the runner-up in the most closely contested WSC so far. The SunRayce class of American teams was won by Massachusetts Institute of Technology . The 2001 WSC was won by Nuna of the Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands , participating for the first time. Aurora took second place. In the 2003 WSC Nuna 2 , the successor to the winner of 2001 won again, with an average speed of 97 km/h (60 mph), while Aurora took second place again. In

3249-525: Was won by the Honda Dream , and Biel School of Engineering and Architecture took second. Video coverage here. In the 1996 WSC, the Honda Dream and Biel School of Engineering and Architecture once again placed first and second overall, respectively. The 1999 WSC was finally won by a "home" team, the Australian Aurora team's Aurora 101 took the prize while Queen's University

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