Solar-powered Car Race Heating Up

Solar-powered racecars have scorched past the halfway point of the Panasonic World Solar Challenge in Australia. And a racecar representing University College London is gaining ground on the leaders.

The biannual event has 39 teams build their own solar-powered cars and then race them over a grueling 1,863 mile course.

The UCL team’s racecar dubbed “SolarFox” started out in the 17th place and maintained their position on the first day of competition. But the team quickly made up ground to arrive at the halfway point in 10th place.

Designed and pieced together at UCL’s engineering workshop, Solarfox is fitted with 402 solar cells, which can fuel speeds of up to 75 miles per hour.

“Solar-powered cars could reduce or even eliminate the automotive industry’s contribution towards air pollution and while practical solar cars remain a long way off, the continuing development of solar racing cars moves this technology one step closer to reality,” said Konrad Ciaramella, who helped design the racecar.

The race is scheduled to finish on Sunday, by which time the teams will have zipped through some of Australia’s most remote and hostile environments.

—LiveScience Staff

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Credit: UCL Press Office