A solar-powered car made in Japan has driven to victory in the 2009 Global Green Challenge, which was held in Australia.  Produced by Tokai University, the Tokai Challenger vehicle won after a four-day long drive that covered a distance of nearly 3000 kilometres. 

The action began on Sunday October 25th when no less than 32 solar-powered vehicles representing 16 different nations lined up to begin an epic race.  The earlier qualifiers had seen Tokai Challenger placed fourth, clocking up a 50.87 mile-per-hour average speed.  However, it soon emerged as the front runner during the actual race and the gap between it and the other competitors continued to widen for the remainder of the event.

The car’s victory occurred on October 28th, but the race itself runs until October 31st – the same day that the awards ceremony takes place.

Tokai Challenger

The Tokai University Challenge team is made up of 19 people – the majority of whom are students from Tokai University itself.  The team is spearheaded by Professor Hideki Kimura – who is involved in research into energy efficient solar vehicle technologies in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, which is based at the university.

The Tokai Challenger is a radical-looking design incorporating six square metres of Sharp photovoltaic panels (the maximum amount it is allowed to feature, according to the race rules).  These panels convert solar energy into electricity, which the car uses as a power source. 

Global Green Challenge

The Global Green Challenge is an industry showcase event for new alternative vehicle technologies that occurs every two years, and is now 22 years old.  It was established by Hans Tholstrup who – in collaboration with Larry Perkins - drove across Australia in the world’s first solar-powered car, named Quiet Achiever.  The average speed attained by this vehicle was 23 kilometres an hour, which meant it took 20 days to cover a total distance of 4052 kilometres (the distance between Sydney and Perth).

Solar Car Technologies

Of course, solar car technologies have come a long way since then: the latest technological advancements in solar energy harnessing can propel new solar vehicles along at around 100 kilometres per hour.

On October 28th, Enviro-News brought you previous coverage from the Global Green Challenge –news of how a Tesla Roadster sports car had claimed a new distance record for electric vehicles. 

Tokai Challenger Image kindly provided by and copyright of Global Green Challenge