Heavy rain and cloudy skies met drivers participating in the Sasol Solar Challenge as the race entered its fifth day on 1 October 2014. Ten cars left Church Square in Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape yesterday morning at 08h00.
Powered by sunlight alone, participants have collectively already completed 8 256.6 km since the start of the event six days ago. The Sasol Solar Challenge is an eight-day race for solar-powered cars built by participating teams and driven on various types of road throughout South Africa. The route includes Sasolburg, Kroonstad, Bloemfontein, Colesberg, Port Elizabeth, Knysna, Swellendam, and ends in Cape Town on 4 October.
It was a gruelling day for the drivers as they contended with the difficult weather conditions.
"The sheer tenacity and determination displayed by the teams participating this year is nothing short of admirable," says Winstone Jordaan, Sasol Solar Challenge Director. "Today we will again see solar cars being put to the test by heavy rain, cloudy skies, shifting altitudes and strong winds. These tough conditions, however, pose incredibly important questions: How do solar-powered vehicles perform in adverse conditions and how effective are repairs to such cars once they have been damaged?"
Yesterday, the teams experienced the longest loop of the challenge to date, and it was estimated that most cars would complete this in one or two hours. However, owing to the harsh weather, participants had to drive slowly and provide cover for their vehicles in the rainy conditions. As a result, only the Nuon Solar Team (from the Netherlands), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) team and the North-West University (NWU) team were able to complete the loop.
At the halfway mark on the fourth day, Delft University of Technology's Nuon Solar Team won again by clocking up 510,4 km. They were followed by Team UKZN with a distance of just under 400 km. NWU maintained their consistent performance with a distance of 315,2 km. The frontrunners, Anadolu Solar Team (from Turkey), came in fourth place with a distance of 221,8 km, without completing the loop. The team, however, still ranks second on the Challenge's leader board.
About 300 participants from across the globe – students, industry and government partners and some private individuals – are participating in this year's Sasol Solar Challenge.
The competition serves as a practical and engaging exercise to demonstrate the applications of mathematics, science and technology in our lives. It exposes learners and students to the opportunities for careers in this field. This solar-powered vehicle platform also facilitates knowledge transfer through the international participants, and establishes a best practice blueprint for technology and engineering in solar systems and electric vehicles.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, says, "The Sasol Solar Challenge provides practical lessons that enable students to broaden their experience by getting involved in real-world projects, international networking, practical learning, logistics and understanding the need for and the value of engineers. The power of innovative platforms like this validates research into electric vehicles and renewable energy."
