New solar car to shine

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) solar racing team, Sunswift, has unveiled an all-new solar car to contest this year’s Global Green Challenge race from Darwin to Adelaide.

Sunswift IV, affectionately known to the team as Ivy, is a three-wheeled, hand-built, carbon-fibre machine which can reach a top speed of 115 km/h using just 1300 W, the same amount of power it takes to toast two slices of bread.

About the same footprint as a small sedan, but half the height and one-tenth the weight, the single-seater car produces no carbon emissions and can cruise at 85 km/h.

Sunswift IV will be the only solar car entry from NSW, and the only student-run team from Australia, to contest the Global Green Challenge, a 3000 km race for solar and eco-friendly vehicles which draws competitors from around the world, including big-budget solar racing teams from the United States and the Netherlands.

The race starts in Darwin on 24 October, with Sunswift expected to reach Adelaide within five days.

Team Leader Clara Mazzone, who is studying Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW, said the Sunswift team had put in an extraordinary effort to prepare the new car and raise the $280,000 needed to fund the project and race campaign.

“The 60 students in the team have given up their spare time over the past 18 months to design, build and fund this vehicle,” she said.

“Although IVy is a race vehicle, it has a new design, including a steering wheel and upright seating position, which brings it closer to something we might see on the road in the future.”