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World solar challenge 1993: The trans‐australian solar car race
Author(s) -
Green Martin A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.4670020110
Subject(s) - photovoltaic system , general motors , engineering , aeronautics , automotive industry , race (biology) , meteorology , automotive engineering , environmental science , electrical engineering , geography , aerospace engineering , sociology , gender studies
In November 1993, over 50 solar cars left Darwin for the tortuous 3000 kilometre journey south across Australia to Adelaide. the top cars set a pace difficult for conventional vehicles to maintain. the winner, the Honda Dream, averaged 85 kilometres per hour (53 mph), with all top five place getters shattering the previous race record set by the General Motors (GM) Sunraycer in 1987. the improved performance was due to better aerodynamics, motor and power train efficiency and improved output power from the photovoltaic arrays on these cars. This report describes the race with emphasis on the solar cell and module technology used by the leading cars.