The Toyota-backed team from Tokai University recently won the 2012 South African Sasol Solar Challenge with its solar car mounted with Panasonic HIT solar cells and high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.
The Toyota-backed team from Tokai University recently won the 2012 South African Sasol Solar Challenge with its solar car mounted with Panasonic HIT solar cells and high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.
The Japanese university team extended its dominance in the world’s longest-distance solar car race. They have won all three races since the biennial event’s inception in 2008 – their previous victory was at Australia’s World Solar Challenge in 2011.
A total of 14 teams from around the world set off from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria on September 18 to challenge the roughly 4 600km loop course circling around the country – a gruelling route with a maximum elevation difference of about 2 000m.
The race took teams from South Africa’s administrative capital to Vryburg and then onto the soon-to-be solar capital of South Africa in Upington. It sped through the scenic town of Springbok and made a glorious entry and departure from Cape Town’s Canal Walk.
Oudtshoorn and East London witnessed a frenzy of local onlookers dazzled by the futuristic cars as the race wound down through Loch Logan, Dundee and Secunda with the final destination being back at the CSIR campus in Pretoria.
The Tokai team returned to Pretoria on September 28, crossing the finish line first at 11.03am after driving a total distance of 4 632km in 71 hours and 13 minutes.
Prof Hideki Kimura of Tokai University, the solar car team’s advisor, was naturally thrilled with the win. The course was very challenging, long with lots of ups and downs,” he said. But the students’ teamwork, Panasonic’s solar cell and battery technology, coupled with Toyota’s support made a formidable combination and brought us our third win in a row.”
Kimura said the team was very grateful to Toyota for the fleet of hybrids (Yaris, Auris and Prius) that were made available to them, not only did these cars fit the spirit of the race, their amazing fuel economy meant that we could follow the solar car every step of the way without having to stop and fill up”.
