Belgians win World Solar Challenge
BluePoint does Darwin to Adelaide under 35 hours as Nuna X catches fire 263km shortBelgium’s Solar Team Agoria has claimed its first Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) title after eight attempts, sailing into Adelaide yesterday afternoon in a time of 34 hours, 52 minutes and 42 seconds.
This year’s running of the world’s biggest solar car race wasn’t without drama, however, with a dramatic lead change yesterday morning when reigning champ Vattenfall Solar Team’s Nuna X caught fire just before Mambray Creek, 2761km from Darwin and just 263km short of the Victoria Square finish line.
Team Agoria’s aerodynamic BluePoint was just two and a half minutes behind and went on to revel in the windy conditions that derailed almost half of the Challenger field, sailing into Adelaide first after more than 3000km.
The Belgian team crossed ahead of Japan’s Tokai Challenger, which claimed second place with a time of 35:04, by US team Michigan in Electrum (37:56).
The first Cruiser Class vehicles, for solar-powered electric cars of the future, will begin rolling into Adelaide this afternoon.
“It’s fantastic to see this event grow in size and popularity over the years, with more and more people from across Australia and the globe taking on the challenge of creating the world’s most efficient solar-powered vehicle,” said Northern Territory Minister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, Lauren Moss.
The first BWSC was held in 1987 and runs every two years in the Aussie outback between Darwin and Adelaide. The unique battle of endurance, strategy and innovation continues to attract teams from around the world to a contest that decides the world’s most efficient solar-powered electric car.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
