Sydney, Oct 24: Dutch team Nuon Solar has won the World Solar Challenge in Australia with a record-breaking time of 30 hours and 54 minutes. The car, Nuna II, reached the finish line at Angle Vale, in Adelaide on Wednesday (October 22), stripping one hour and 45 minutes from its previous mark. Its average speed was estimated at 97 kph, compared with 91.8 kph in the 2001 event. Nuna II continued on to Victoria Square in the centre of Adelaide where crowds cheered the team home. The record-breaking car, built at the Technical University in Delft, has a new shape and improved aero-dynamics over the team's 2001 winning car. Australian car Aurora, from Victoria, reached the Angle Vale finishing line one hour and 43 minutes later than Nuna 1, 46 minutes better than its previous record. Aurora had to complete the 40 minute journey to Victoria Square in the next day under its own power. The American MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) team was just 20 minutes behind Aurora.


Bureau Report