Environment

Team Tokai wins 2011 World Solar Challenge

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The Tokai University Team has taken out the 2011 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Team Tokai has just reached the "Finish of Timing" checkpoint in the 2011 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Hideki Kimura)
Team Tokai celebrates victory in the 2012 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Team Tokai celebrates victory in the 2012 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)
The Japanese Tokai team celebrates victory in the 2012 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Team Tokai wins 2011 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Team Tokai approaches the finish line in the 2011 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)
The finish Line in Adelaide, South Australia (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 - the cockpit of the solar-powered car almost makes an F1 car look roomy (Photo: Gizmag.com)
The Tokai University Team has taken out the 2011 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger at the "finish of timing" earlier today (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai University team leader Professor Hideki Kimura (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 on the final stretch of the World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)
World Solar Challenge official car head's to Adelaide (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Celebrations get underway for the team from Tokai University (Photo: Gizmag.com)
Tokai Challenger 2 (Photo: Gizmag.com)
View gallery - 34 images

Team Tokai has just reached the finish line in Adelaide, Australia, to become the winner of the 2011 World Solar Challenge. The victory makes it back-to-back wins for the Japanese team which took out the previous event in 2009.

All of the top three places are set to match the 2009 results when Nuon Solar Team from the Netherlands finished in second place, followed by the University of Michigan in third.

The Nuon Solar Car Team was hot on the heels of the Tokai vehicle throughout the final day this year, with Nuna6 running just 30 minutes behind - a very tight margin after four days on the road. Nuon is now expected to arrive at the finish line at around 10am tomorrow after running out of energy at Angle Vale, just north of Adelaide.

After starting in fifth position in Darwin, the Tokai team took the lead on the first day of the race and was never headed throughout the grueling 1800-odd mile journey, which this year posed extra challenges in the form of bushfires and road closures.

Team Tokai approaches the finish line in the 2011 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)

The Tokai Challenger 2 is a three-wheeler featuring carbon monocoque construction that harnesses solar energy using a six meter square array of silicon solar cells with a conversion efficiency of 22 percent. The vehicle has a claimed top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). Energy capacity of the 21 kg (46.2 lb) lithium-ion battery is 5 kWh - which by way of comparison, is roughly the same amount of energy it takes to run an electric clothes dryer for one hour.

In 2009, Team Tokai completed the race in 29 hours and forty-nine minutes, averaging 100.54 km/h (62.47 mph). The average time set this year is expected to be very similar - we'll confirm the exact figure when official results are in. Either way, it's a remarkable achievement in a vehicle powered only by the Sun's rays.

Tokai Challenger 2 (Photo: Gizmag.com)

Team Tokai wins 2011 World Solar Challenge (Photo: Gizmag.com)

The Tokai University vehicle reached the ceremonial finish line at approximately 2pm local time. The victory was a particularly emotional one for the Japanese team who were seeking to highlight the potential for solar power and the world-leading status of Japan's technologies in the aftermath of the Fukishima nuclear disaster.

We'll keep you posted on the official results as the remaining teams complete the Solar Challenge in coming days. In the meantime, Tokai University is set to celebrate its well earned win - check out the gallery for more photos.

Ed's note: this article was updated at 11:45 pm on 19 October as further information became available.

View gallery - 34 images
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2 comments
ben
Soon there will have to be special closed roads because of the sheer speed of these things - to AVERAGE 100 km/h over a day and a night the daytime speed must be way over the road speed limit!
Gadgeteer
@ben,
I hope that\'s sarcasm about the writing in the article. The cars are only allowed to run during certain daylight hours. It\'s not 29 hours straight, but over the course of several days. Although the WSC site says this year\'s winning time was over 32 hours.