World solar car race gets under way in Darwin

Oct 21, 2015 The 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge recently got underway in Australia, with some of the most advanced solar cars from around the world competing. The competition saw 47 teams from 25 countries participating in the grueling biennial 3000 kilometer race from Darwin to Adelaide.

Speaking during the race, Cameron Mutis from team Liberty Solar said:

“For us to have a car that’s able to compete with these immaculate teams is such a cool experience for us, just being here half way across the world, getting to race against all these countries is just incredible for us, we’re so excited to be here,”

The biannual event first began in 1987 based on the notion that a 1000 watt car would complete the trip from Darwin to Adelaide in 50 hours. According to the organizers, the cars are permitted a nominal five kilowatt hours of stored energy. The remaining energy must come from the sun or be recovered from the kinetic energy of the vehicle.