World Solar Challenge

An event that combines a slightly leftfield appreciation of vehicle racing with genuine technological innovation and concern for the environment, the World Solar Challenge has been going since 1987.

In its lifetime, over 300 teams have entered the competition- from amateur enthusiasts to large international firms. And the aim? To propel a vehicle over 3000 kilometres from Darwin to Adelaide using only the sun as petrol.
The event usually lasts for 6 days or so, and because of the lengths of distances covered it is perhaps not the greatest spectator sport. However, en route, design enthusiasts can marvel at the strikingly futuristic designs of the vehicles competing- sleek, sci-fi, alien visions, gliding through the vast, sun burnt planes of Central Australia. In addition, for techno types, the advanced technology used in the creation of the vehicles is exciting indeed- and, as the event organisers correctly state, such technologies are going to be in the forefront of vehicle design in the future.
And with cars racing at speeds of up to 130k/h, a thrilling race this most certainly is.