Australian motor-racing with a difference!

Every once in a while you come across something that makes you sit up and think – “wow, things have really progressed while you weren’t noticing”. I just came across a site for a motor-race between Darwin and Adelaide – no noisy laps of special circuits here – the Global Green Challenge is just a short 3000km sprint from north to south across Australia!

Now being Oz, this ain’t the usual type of motor-race you might be expecting. For starters one of the race categories, Category B, is a bit unusual – it’s for vehicles whose power is limited to whatever they can harness from up to six square metres of solar panelling! (Good thing Australia’s known for plenty of sun then!)

The other category (A), is known as the eco-challenge, and is intended for real-world practical demonstration models. That is, exceptionally fuel-efficient cars derived from advances in green technology that would be capable of mass-production – and according to the organisers it is intended to demonstrate “how far a car can go on the least amount of energy”.

The solar cars can already reach speeds in excess of 90kph (55mph) and since 1999 the vast majority of cars have completed the challenge course. No mean feat given the relative infancy of solar technology for this use.

Taking place from 24th-31st October – it’s probably more of a follow-on-the-web activity, though anyone around Adelaide on 30th and 31st of October can see the cars as they reach Adelaide’s Victoria Square.