South African Solar Challenge

Updated on Dec 12, 2024

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The South African Solar Challenge is an alternative fuel vehicle auto racing challenge in South Africa, with classes for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, solar vehicles, and biofuel-powered vehicles. The first challenge was run in 2008, and it will run every two years thereafter. The race distance is over 4,100 km (2,500 mi). The challenge route may change from year to year, but it is planned to run from Johannesburg to Cape Town to Durban and finish in Pretoria.

Objective

The primary objective is to design, manage, build and race solar powered-vehicles across South Africa. The challenge sees a collaboration between scholars, students, private individuals and various industry and government partners, to work together to have a safe, technology-rich event.

The race promotes:

Renewable energy technologies (specifically photovoltaic/solar cell technology)

Educational excellence in science, engineering, and mathematics

Creative integration of technical and scientific expertise across a wide range of disciplines

Understanding of marketing, business and management skills needed to execute large and complex projects.

Hands-on experience for students and engineers to develop and demonstrate their technical and creative abilities

Environmental consciousness

Safety in all aspects of the challenge, development, testing and racing.

Sportsmanship, friendship and co-operation.

References

South African Solar Challenge Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA