A
futuristic Dutch family car that not only uses the sun as power but supplies
energy back to the grid was hailed as "the future" Sunday as the
World Solar Challenge wrapped up.
The
innovative bi-annual contest, first run in 1987, began in Darwin a week ago
with 41 vehicles setting off on a 3,000-kilometre (1,860-mile) trip through the
heart of Australia to Adelaide.
Dutch car
"Nuna 9" won the race for the third-straight time, crossing the
finish line on Thursday after travelling at an average speed of 81.2 kilometres
per hour (55.5 mph).
It was
competing in the Challenger class, which featured slick, single seat
aerodynamic vehicles built for sustained endurance and total energy efficiency.
But there
was also a Cruiser class, introduced to bridge the gap between high-end
technology and everyday driving practicality.
German team
HS Bochum was the first to arrive Friday with its stylish four-seater classic
coupe, featuring sustainable materials such as vegan pineapple leather seats.
But another
Dutch team, Eindhoven, was set to be crowned overall champion based on a system
taking into account design, practicality, energy efficiency, and innovation,
organisers said.
Their
family car, "Stella Vie", carried five people at an average speed of
69 kilometres per hour, with event director Chris Selwood saying it was a
practical demonstration of what the future might look like.
"These
incredible solar cars have been designed with the commercial market in mind and
have all the features you?d expect in a family, luxury or sporting car,"
he said.
"Team
Eindhoven are to be congratulated on their achievement to date -- clearly the
most energy efficient solar car in the field, capable of generating more power
than they consume.
"This
is the future of solar electric vehicles. When your car is parked at home it
can be charging and supplying energy back to the grid."
Cars in the
race were mostly developed by universities or corporations, with teams hailing
from around the world.
They were
allowed to store a small amount of energy but the majority of their power had
to come from the sun and the vehicle's kinetic forces.
Team
Eindhoven said its vision had been to build a family car with a balance between
aerodynamic, aesthetic and practical design.
"We
think we succeeded very well with a car that is more efficient than its
predecessors and includes some state-of-the-art technologies to not only
generate energy but also supply it back to the grid," they said.
"Through
a smart charging and discharging system she charges the battery when the demand
of energy from the grid is high and vice versa. Any surplus energy generated
can easily be supplied back to the grid."
Of the 12
Cruiser class cars that started, six finished.
As well as
the German and Dutch entrants, vehicles from Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and
the United States also crossed the finish line.
