Belgian team wins ‘most extreme’ solar car race in South Africa
A team of Belgian students and engineers won a solar-powered car race in South Africa on Friday that is widely considered the most challenging for testing the technology.
More than a dozen teams took part in the eight-day race covering thousands of kilometers, with varying weather and altitude extremes adding to the complexity for designers.
“Innoptus claimed victory after breaking their own record not once, but twice during the competition,” Sasol Solar Challenge organizers said in a statement.
The race, which has been held every two years since its inauguration in 2008, started on September 13 in Secunda in the northeast of the country, with 14 teams competing for the finish in Cape Town.
“This is a melting pot… It’s the most extreme solar challenge in the world,” race director Rob Walker told AFP at the finish.
The Innoptus car had a flat surface covered with photovoltaic panels and a white exterior, with a narrow driver’s seat with the license plate “SUN 08”.
“If you want to create a renewable future, we still have a lot of work to do, but we believe in ourselves and it is possible to do it,” says Arne Besteijns, PR officer of Innoptus Solar.
The other teams came from South Africa, Qatar, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and Germany.
At the finish they were greeted with confetti thrown by hundreds of cheering fans.
Ebenhezer Tswana, driver for one of the two South African teams, said many people did not believe their car would make it.
“I’m very happy because with this car we actually drove the whole way,” he said.
