Team Tokai stretch lead

JAPANESE solar team Tokai maintained their 36km lead over world champions Nuon on the fifth day of the Sasol Solar Challenge yesterday.

Ending at the Aldo Scribante Raceway, the two Challenge front runners each covered a distance of 575km on public roads between Graaff-Reinet and Port Elizabeth.

Tokai were first on the starting line yesterday after completing 2 611.6km.

The South African car, Phoenix, from North-West University started behind those international teams.

Organisers say this was their first top-three start of the event, achieved after resolving electrical and battery challenges with their car that enabled a full 444.6km.

They were followed by the Tshwane University of Technology, clocking 249km on Wednesday.

Sonke Siyakude, the team from Pretoria, completed 171km, while the Central University of Technology covered their first distance, completing 64km, placing sixth, ahead of City University’s sustainability car, which did 27km.

“We were disappointed that we couldn’t do more distance, but we were encouraged by the incredible turnaround that TUT made earlier in the Challenge when their car was damaged,” said Solar Energy Racers spokesperson Han Wang.

“We’ll make sure to reinforce the critical parts in preparation for the strong Cape winds – our strategy is always ‘safety first’.” They’ll be ninth on the start line tomorrow following late-arrival penalties.

The 2018 event marks a decade of solar car challenges in South Africa, as it runs for the sixth time.

The Sasol Solar Challenge sees solar-powered cars from across the world compete to cover the biggest distance across public roads, heading from Pretoria to Sasolburg, heading through Bloemfontein to Gariep Dam and on to Middelburg and Graaff-Reinet.

Five South African teams are taking on solar cars from Japan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Switzerland as they drive through the country, powered only by the African sun.