ABU DHABI // A solar car capable of hitting speeds of up to 150 kph is on showcase at Yas Mall on Wednesday.
The car was built by students at the Petroleum Institute and debuted in January at the Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge 2015; the first ever solar powered challenge in the Middle East. The local team finished second by only two and a half minutes, after racing for over 13 hours in total.
The concept around the solar car - worth four times the price of a Ferrari - began in 2013 at the World Future Energy Summit when Tokai University displayed its solar car, ‘Tokai Challenger 2011,’ which caught the eye of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, inspiring him to kick-start a project in the capital, working with the students at the Petroleum Institute Research Center and University (PI).
The result is an aerodynamic car designed to be efficient and lightweight with tyres which are seven to eight times more efficient than passenger cars.
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