Dutch team wins SA solar challenge
THE Dutch Nuon Solar team won the 2018 Sasol Solar challenge this year, completing 4 030.4km on public roads from Pretoria to Stellenbosch.
The Dutch team arrived in Stellenbosch on Saturday after a close call with the Tokai University Solar Car team, who completed the race at 3 941.4km.
The nine teams that took part in the challenge drove a total of 16 249.1km and stopped in 18 towns. Children along the route were able to get a virtual reality tour inside the solar cars as they drove by.
The Solar Energy Racers from Switzerland covered a total of 2 642.1km to earn third place. Their SER-3 car’s cockpit was damaged early in the challenge and had to be repaired overnight. The dedicated team re-formed and completed the challenge in their next car.
The Sasol Solar challenge takes place every second year as a tribute to science, engineering, maths and technology. As the solar cars travelled through South Africa, the challenge served as an educational construct to various schools that joined the teams at the stops. The solar cars could give a demonstration to the students of how studying these various subjects could help them reach great achievements.
“This was a very tough round of the Sasol Solar Challenge because we significantly reduced the size solar array teams were allowed to use,” said Winstone Jordaan, founder and direcSEVEN tor of the event.
Tshwane University of Technology’s Sun Chaser 3 completed a stirring 2397km, where they were 120.7km ahead of the North-West University car called Phoenix.
Tshwane University of Technology’s Sun Chaser 3 also experienced difficulties on the first day when the solar panel blew off and had to be re-attached to the car. North-West University’s Phoenix used a distinctive rotating solar panel that allowed the team to follow the sun.
The teams experienced immense challenges throughout the eight-day event, but persevered. Central University of Technology and Cape Peninsula University of Technology were pleased with demonstrating the spirit of hard work and endurance.
Sasol hosted an awards event in Cape Town on Sunday to celebrate the teams’ accomplishments.
“You put your minds to work through your hands and the result was a vehicle of inspiration and hope.
“And that, to us, is a commendable way to contribute to the future of South Africa’s energy, aerodynamics, motoring, engineering and education sectors. We salute your tireless efforts and dedication to this ambitious project,” said Charlotte Mokoena, Sasol executive vice-president for human resources and corporate affairs.