The solar racing car SolarWorld GT has crossed Australia and New Zealand, ending the first leg of the round-the-world trip. The solar powered car will now move on to San Francisco and then across the North American continent.
The racer, the result of SolarWorld AG’s and Bochum University of Applied Sciences’ cooperative research and development, is on its way to establish the world record for the longest distance ever driven by a solar powered car.
The SolarWorld GT started its journey in October 2011 and has covered a distance of around 5,000 kilometers whizzing through Australia and New Zealand. The racer has crossed cities, deserts, mountains and a whole lot of sheep plus the Lord of the Rings landscape. 30,000 km still awaits the solar car with North America, Europe and Asia as well as two equator crossings ahead before the finishing line in Australia. The estimated finishing date is sometime in December next year.
The two-seater’s aim is to gain interest for solar energy. “The SolarWorld GT is an ambassador for solar power and solar mobility. It runs completely without fuel and externally provided electricity,” explains Frank Asbeck, chairman and CEO of SolarWorld AG. “In the future, millions of vehicles will be electrically operated. They will not all have their own on-board power plant like the SolarWorld GT, but they can be recharged with a SunCarport or with the solar power plant on your own roof.”
