Proud history for World Solar Challenge and ETSA Power World Solar Cycle Challenge

The World Solar Challenge dates back to 1987 when 23 solar cars from seven countries embarked on the first event leaving Darwin bound for Adelaide.

That first event was an outstanding success and surprised the 'experts' when the race winner, General Motor's 'Sunraycer' averaged nearly 67kph.

In 1990 there were 36 entries and the winner came from the Swiss Engineering School at Biel. Less than perfect weather kept the inaugural race winner's record intact.

The 'high-tech' Honda Dream machine raised the bar in 1993 when the Japanese team won the event at an average speed of 85kph.

Honda then re-affirmed its supremacy at 'brain sport' by returning in 1996 and won again. This time the winner averaged 89.76kph covering the 3,000 kilometre plus distance in 33 hours 32 minutes.

In 1996, the World Solar Cycle Challenge was first held, and in that year the event was a component of the World Solar Challenge. Competitors travelled from Darwin to Adelaide with the solar cars. A Japanese team, 'Zero to Darwin' won the event at an impressive average speed of 54.9kph. Subsequent events have been supported by the South Australian electricity utility ETSA Power. In 1997, Renmark High School from South Australia was the only team to complete the journey from Alice Springs to Adelaide and back at an average speed of 37.74kph.

History of the World Solar Challenge ­ (Car)

In the 1987 race, the GM Sunraycer completed the 3010km trip with an average speed of 67kmh, setting the scene for an extensive research and development program among the teams.

By 1990, the cars had improved significantly, with entrants reaping the benefits of their hard work in the preceding three years.

That year's winner, a team from the Swiss Engineering School, Biel, typified the spirit of participation of the World Solar Challenge ­ (Car).

The citizens of the town of Biel donated one dollar each towards the entry. With a school winning such a prestigious event, the World Solar Challenge ­ (Car) became known as "Brain Sport".

The 1993 race saw the 1987 GM Sunraycer record broken and the arrival of car-making giant Honda on the solar racing scene.

The winning car travelled an amazing 803 kilometres in one day, providing a glimpse of how seriously major corporations took the event.

The cars had evolved so much that a minimum speed limit of 40kmh was introduced for the 1996 Challenge.

The limit wasn't a problem for the all-conquering Honda Dream team, which repeated its 1993 victory, setting a record average speed of 89.76 kmh.

The World Solar Challenge ­ (Car) is a race which facilitates research and development in order to harness solar energy for future transport needs.

Competitors, driven by a motivation to win the greatest solar race in the world, can also rest easy in the knowledge that they are contributing towards a vital search for sustainable transport alternatives for future generations.

The space-age cars which travel at incredible speeds between Darwin and Adelaide on the sun’s radiation and human’s ingenuity alone give people an appreciation of a cleaner, better future using solar energy.