The time has come and the competitors are embarking on South Africa's first Solar Challenge. The South African Solar Challenge 2008 is an epic, two-week race in solar-powered cars through the length and breadth of South Africa. Teams have built their own cars, designed their own engineering systems and are now ready to race those same machines through the most demanding terrain that solar cars have ever known.
On Sunday, 28 September 2008, six cars of strange shapes and designs took off from Menlyn Shopping Centre on South Africa's first ever alternative energy event and made their way to Cape Town, driving along the coast to Durban before climbing the steep Drakensburg Mountains on their way back to the finish line at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria 11 days later, on 8 October.
There are teams from India, Japan and South Africa taking part.
The event brings together technologies students and the public need to understand when building and using electric cars and alternative energy solutions.
These feats of engineering, although technology prototypes, combine technologies like electric motors, batteries, solar energy and in at least once case hydrogen fuel cells.
The cars have been on display at the following venues, throughout South Africa over the last 13 days. Facilities have catered for the public to come and view the vehicles and talk to the team members about the cars and the technology that has been used. Cars will start racing at 8:00am each morning and will finish racing at the overnight stop at 5:00pm each day. The public are welcome at both the daily start and finish lines.
Friday, 26 September after 12:00pm - Pretoria Menlyn Shopping Centre
Saturday, 27 September after 9:00am - Pretoria Menlyn Shopping Centre
Sunday, 28 September after 5:00pm - Kimberly Shell Garage at the entrance to the town
Monday, 29 September after 5:00pm - Beaufort West - Karoo National Park
Tuesday, 30 September after 5:00pm - Cape Town Canal Walk Shopping Centre
Wednesday, 1 October whole day - Cape Town Canal Walk Shopping Centre
Thursday, 2 October after 5:00pm - Plettenburg Bay Wittedrif High School
Friday, 3 October after 5:00pm - East London Grens High School
Saturday, 4 October after 5:00pm - Port Shepston Inkwazi River Resort
Sunday, 5 October after 5:00pm - Durban Gateway Centre
Monday, 6 October whole day - Durban Gateway Centre
Tuesday, 7 October after 5:00pm - Ermelo De Villas
Wednesday, 8 October from 12:00pm - 5:00pm - Pretoria - Innovation Hub, Awards Function
For any further information on where to see the cars or for information on assisting at any of the overnight stops, please contact Winstone Jordaan on 083 284 7747 or Johan Viljoen on 082 561 6846, alternatively you can send e-mail to winstone@solarchallenge.org.za, or visit the Web site at www.solarchallenge.org.za.
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