The Illanga II, a solar-powered vehicle built by students from the University of Johannesburg, left on Tuesday morning with 12 other local and international eco-efficient cars on the Sasol South Africa Solar Challenge. The race runs over 5 000 km across the country and ends on 28 September.

Held every two years, under the auspices of Motorsport South Africa and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), this eco-efficiency challenge allows teams from around the world to congregate to demonstrate the sophistication and performance of solar-powered vehicles bringing through leading technology.
Ranked as one of the top global events of its kind, the Sasol Solar Challenge is an exciting competition aimed at educating people in the areas of science, innovation, teamwork and business principles.

The challenge is a collaborative approach between scholars, students, private individuals and various industry and government partners that will see competitors come together to design and build their own engineering systems, and ultimately drive a solar-powered vehicle over a 5 400km journey.

The competition also serves as a practical and engaging application of maths, science and technology, exposing learners and students to the opportunities of a potential career in this field. The Sasol Solar Challenge encourages knowledge transfer from international participants and establishes best practice in technology and engineering for solar systems and electric vehicles all on a platform of a solar powered vehicle.

Henry Loubser, the MD of Sasol New Energy, says that “South Africa has an abundance of direct sunshine and we are evaluating options to harness this power through solar power technologies. Solar power is flexible and can offer energy solutions across different applications. Sasol New Energy focuses on developing options and new technologies for Sasol to utilise in a carbon-constrained world. Developing alternative energy technologies, such as solar adds to Sasol’s expanding new energy portfolio and will in turn contribute to the country’s transition to a low carbon economy.”

Illanga II is sponsored by Siemens, Eskom and MTN, amongst others. According to Siemens, with the roll-out of the REIPPP, the company is keen to invest in a knowledge centre of competence and expertise in alternative energy while at the same time being a technology provider.

The race is a fun and creative way of introducing alternative energy and sustainable engineering to students at an early stage in their lives. The company says that green solutions have become the drivers for economic growth and the global economy. Climate change is transforming green technologies into the leading industry of the next century.

The Solar Challenge started in Pretoria and will pass through Upington, Cape Town, East London, Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg and Witbank. Different terrains will be covered during the race and the teams that are participating, are comprised of the same team which conceptualised and designed the vehicle in its entirety.

Follow the Sasol Solar Challenge on Twitter @aef_sasc, or join www.facebook.com/sasolarchallenge and visit www.solarchallenge.co.za.