The world’s most ecologic automobile race started two weeks ago, October 25th, in Australia. From Darwin to Adelaide, 38 participants drove for almost eight days over 3, 000km across the Australian desert during the World Solar Challenge 2009. This trial takes place during the Global Green Challenge, an event that promotes the latest advances and experiments in hybrid, electric and solar vehicles such as the Tesla Roadster and the Toyota Prius.

The legendary World Solar Challenge was created by Danish Hans Thostrup in 1987 and takes place every two year. Its goal: promote research in sustainable transport and electric vehicle energy. This challenge gives the opportunity to university and engineer students to create their own solar vehicle.

“The significant support from the South Australian Government is tangible evidence of its commitment to change for the betterment of the environment and mankind’’ relates Roger Cook, Chairman of the South Australian Motor Sport Board. The Global Green Challenge offers to its contestants the opportunity to position and adapt themselves at the forefront of the newest technologies. From another perspective, the audience can get a glance on future’s sustainable vehicles.

Among the participants was a team from Montreal’s Polytechnic School, consisted of one girl and nine of her male colleagues. The Montreal team created Esteban V, a yellow engine as bright as the sun. During the first day, the team encountered a battery problem which led them behind the other teams. All participants had to respect the time constraint of the sun’s luminescence. They could only run between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Esteban’s team arrived in the 14th position. The race officially ended on October 31st. The team from Tokai University in Japan won first place yesterday with its engine able to reach a maximum speed of 150km per hour.