Team Tokai from Japan were successfully crowned the winners of the World Solar Challenge this week as they arrived in Adelaide at 1.07pm today local time.
The 3000km challenge took the team 32 hours and 45 minutes, with their solar powered Tokai Challenger2 car achieving an average speed of 91.54 kilometres per hour.
The jubilant team and support crew celebrated at the finish line in Angle Vale before making their way to the official ceremony in Adelaide’s Victoria Square.
In one of the closest contests in the event’s history the gallant Nuon team from the Netherlands, widely expected to make the challenge their fifth win, came second. The two teams shared the final checkpoint in Port Augusta just minutes apart. But as the sun faded and the clouds rolled in it became clear the Dutch team and their vehicle Nuna 6 were not going to catch the Japanese team. They arrived in Angle Vale at 2.12 pm local time in a time of 33.5 hours with an average speed of 88.62 kilometres per hour.
The American Solar Champions, the team from Michigan University, continued their recent tradition of crossing the line 3rd reaching Angle Vale at 3.55 pm, in 35 hours and 33 minutes with an average speed of 84.33 kilometres.
The celebrations will continue tomorrow as both Nuon and Michigan are welcomed into Victoria Square from 10 am Adelaide time and more solar cars reach finish of timing. Expected tomorrow are Ashiya in 4th place who are currently in Port Augusta along with Twente from the Netherlands in 5th. North of Port Augusta and also due in tomorrow depending on the weather conditions are 6th placed Umicore from Belgium, Australia’s Aurora in 7th place and Uni NSW in 8th place. The team from Istanbul University in 9th place and the high school team from Okinawa Japan are expected to arrive Saturday along with the remainder of the field.
Teams at the rear of the field are currently trailering their vehicles in order to reach finish of timing on Saturday. Among the 37 entrants partaking in the challenge, the two British teams, one from Cambridge University and the other from Durham University, have been placed 25th and 33rd respectively.
