37 teams from all over the world are making a go at this year’s World Solar Challenge, by traversing continental Australia in a solar vehicle. Teams need to cross 3,000 km of desert, from Darwin to Adelaide, in a single shot, relying on the sun for almost all the energy needed to make the journey. Rain and smoky conditions are making the race a real challenge by adding a layer of complexity to the largest solar car race in the world, but now on day two, Tokai University (who won in 2009) is making headway with a speedster that can top out at 160 kmh. University of Michigan and the Dutch Nuon Solar Team are also hot contenders in this extraordinary test of engineering and resolve.

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Post tags: fastest solar car, solar car, solar car Australia, solar car race leader, solar car technology, solar power car race, solar race, world solar challenge, World Solar Challenge Competition, world solar race

Stanford’s Solar Car Project has spent almost two years building their entry for this year’s World Solar Challenge – a streamlined solar vehicle that may be the fastest solar car ever built. Designed in the 8,000-square-foot Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab, the Xenith is set to embark on a 3,000-kilometer (or 1,864-mile) race across the Australian Outback on October 16th.

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Post tags: fastest solar car, solar powered car, solar powered vehicle, standford, standford xenith solar car, stanford solar car project, sunpower corporation, Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab, world solar challenge, Xenith

Read the rest of Nuon Solar Team Reveals Super Aerodynamic Nuna6 Solar Powered Vehicle

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Post tags: alternative transportation, green autotmotive design, green transportation, Nuna6 Solar Car, Nuon Solar Team, renewable energy, solar car, Solar Power, world solar challenge

In 2009, Cambridge University students had high hopes when they designed The Bethany, a solar powered vehicle, to compete in the  World Solar Challenge across the Australian outback. Unfortunately, the team came 14th in the epic 1,800-mile race due to being sidelined by a bad battery. But they aren’t giving up – they’re prepping the Endeavour, version 2.0 of the Bethany solar car, for the race in October and it looks like it could be a winner!

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Post tags: bethany 2.0, Bethany solar car, cambridge university bethany solar car, cambridge university eco racing, endeavour bethany solar car, solar car, Solar vehicle, world solar challenge, world solar challenge cambridge university

Engineering students at Berkeley have spent thousands of hours building the new Impulse Solar Car, which will compete in the 1800-mile World Solar Challenge across Australia in October. The design still needs some refinement in terms of aerodynamics and efficiency, which has led the CalSol design team to grow from its initial 12 students to over 70 in order to finish in time for the race. “We’re making a car, driving it across a continent and powering it with the sun,” said Chris Cartland, the third-year electrical engineering and computer sciences student who heads up CalSol. “It’s the coolest thing I can imagine doing as an undergraduate at Cal.”

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Post tags: alternative transportation, Berkeley Impulse solar car, CalSol solar car, green automotive design, green transportation, Impulse Solar Car, Solar Power, world solar challenge

A team of students from Georgia Tech recently rolled out a hyper-modified electric Audi TT that runs on electricity harvested from the sun. The solar-electric hybrid was designed to participate in the World Solar Challenge in Australia, which challenges designers to race for thousands of miles using solar power.

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Post tags: Buckhead Eco-Collection, electric cars, Georgia Tech students, Solar Jackets, solar powered cars, Solar-assisted electric car, Solar-electric vehicles, world solar challenge

We’ll admit it: We’ve never totally understood Nascar’s appeal. I mean, come on, it’s just a bunch of cars going round and round a track like a zillion times! But the World Solar Challenge? Now that is one car race we can really get behind. The event, which started way back in 1987, features solar-powered vehicles created by some of the world’s top engineering colleges. Using the power of the sun instead of polluting fossil fuels, the cars race across thousands of miles in order to advance solar and electric vehicle technology — and to achieve the satisfaction of winning, of course.

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Post tags: chevy volt, delft university, Global Green Challenge, Nascar, solar vehicles, Tokai Challenger, tokai university, university of michigan, world solar challenge

The World Solar Challenge across the Australian outback is coming up, and we’re already seeing some truly incredible vehicles going for the gold. Take the Bethany, a solar powered vehicle designed by Cambridge University students. The vehicles is capable of achieving close to 60 miles per hour. Doesn’t sound to impressive? Try doing it by using the power required to run a hairdryer.

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Post tags: Bethany solar car, cambridge university's solar vehicle, green car, solar powered vehicle, sun power, world solar challenge, world solar race

Amidst the increasing buzz around green cars, and innovative green car designs gaining grounds, Taiwan is ready with the prototype of a solar powered car that could hit the markets soon. The car was featured at the World Solar Challenge 2007, weighs a mere 250 kg and can reach speeds of 70 km/hr. All this with no emissions, powered by the sun!


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Post tags: Add new tag, Kaohsiung University, Solar Auto, solar car, solar transportation, Solar vehicle, Taiwain university solar, Taiwan Solar Car, world solar challenge