Refinitiv Newscasts - Solar-powered cars race through Australian outback

BRIDGESTONE

24/10/2023 17:10

Click the following link to watch video: https://share.newscasts.refinitiv.com/link?entryId=1_jz6ovu9v&referenceId=tag:reuters.com,2023:newsml_RW267524102023RP1_991&pageId=Newscasts
Source: Thomson Reuters

Description: Solar-powered electric cars take part in a 1,864-mile race in the
Australian outback. Olivia Chan has more.
Short Link: https://refini.tv/471N3LV

Video Transcript:

>> These electric cars are racing against each other across the Australian
outback, powered only by the energy of the sun. The Bridgestone World Solar
Challenge brings together teams from across the world to take part in an over
1,800 mile long race and push the limits of technological innovation. >> So
we're driving forward efficient car design and we're also driving forward
solar technology and electrical efficiency in general. >> The challenge starts
in Darwin and finishes in Adelaide about five days later, with the cars
expected to cover the course in 50 hours. Teams are usually comprised of
university students who engineer and build the vehicles. One of the
participating teams are from Durham University. Catherine Flanders is the head
of logistics for the team. >> So we don't have any air conditioning in our
car, so the estimate is that our car is roughly 10 degrees warmer than the
outside air temperature, which puts the inside of the car about 50 degrees C.
Obviously, it's very warm. We have an air vent that keeps you cool, but you're
so focused on what you're doing that you don't really notice the heat until
you're out of it again. >> The event is designed to showcase a variety of
forward looking EV technologies. This year, prototype Bridgestone tires are
being tested. They are designed to reduce the rolling resistance for electric
vehicles, increasing range. Organizers and participants say what began in 1987
as a rather quirky challenge is now more relevant than ever as the car
industry looks for efficiency in electric vehicle range, power, and charging.
Here's Event Director, Chris Selwood. >> The event I believe is as relevant
today if not more so than it was in the early days. Why are we still playing
with solar cars? Because the quest for efficiency never ends. And what we're
doing now with our cruiser class cars, and you'll see some of these cars look
quite nice sports cars. I introduced that in 2013, the cruiser class, the link
between the purely experimental ultra efficient challenger cars to something
that the general public can look at and identify with and say, I'd like to
drive a car like that one day