World Solar Challenge 1993

The 1993 World Solar Challenge was the third international solar-powered car race held over 3,000km from Darwin, Northern Territory to Adelaide, South Australia.

1993 Daido Hoxan World Solar Challenge
The 3rd edition of the World Solar Challenge
Host CountryAustralia Australia
Dates run7 November 1993
StartDarwin, Australia
FinishAdelaide, Australia
Total Distance (km)3,013
Results
WinnerHonda (Japan)
2ndBiel College of Engineering (Switzerland)
3rdKyocera (Japan)

It was held from November 7, 1993 with the 'Dream' car from Honda Research and Development winning the event from 1990 winners Biel.[1] Reports suggested Honda's vehicle cost AU$10 million, with Biel spending $3 million,[2] with the total value of entrants estimated at $25 million.

Fifty-one entrants from 13 countries entered the race, which was completed at a record speed of 84.96 km/h, attributed to improvements in aerodynamics, motor efficiency and photovoltaic cells.[3]

It was also supported by several mainstream automotive manufacturers, including Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Kia. Stuttgart University also operated a "semi-trailer sized"[4] solar powered airship called Lotte to Adelaide as part of the event.[5]

Event sponsor

edit

Japanese industrial gas producer Daido Hoxan was the naming sponsor of the event.

Route

edit

The World Solar Challenge runs across approximately 3,000km from Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.

Results[6]

edit
Position Team Car Country Time (h:m) Speed (km/h)
1 Honda Dream Japan 35:28 84.96
2 Eng. Col. Biel Spirit of Biel III Switzerland 38:30 78.27
3 Kyocera Son of Sun Japan 42:35 70.76
4 Waseda University Sky Blue Waseda Japan 42:50 70.35
5 Aurora Aurora Q1 Australia 43:00 70.08
6 Toyota Toyota56 Japan 46:34 64.71
7 Northern Territory University Desert Rose Australia 46:50 64.34
8 Cal Poly Pomona Intrepid United States 47:21 63.64
9 George Washington University SunForce I United States 47:46 63.08
10 Zero 2 Darwin Be-Pal III Australia 48:38 61.96
11 University of Michigan Maize & Blue United States 49.07 61.35
12 Nissan Motor Company Sun Favor Japan 50:21 59.85
13 Cal State LA Solar Eagle II United States 50:37 59.53
14 Stanford University Afterburner United States 51:38 58.36
15 Philips Solar Kiwi Solar Kiwi New Zealand 60:36 49.72
16 Mabuchi Motor Let's Sunjoy Japan 60:57 49.44
17 Sofix Sofix Japan 64:56 46.41
18 Tokai University Tokai-51SR Japan 74:22 40.52
19 Monash University / Melbourne University Solution Australia 74:50 40.27
20 Laughing Sun Evolution93/B Japan 75:48 39.75
21 Mino Family Mino Solar III Japan 76:21 39.47
22 University of Oklahoma Spirit of Oklahoma United States 79:37 37.85
23 Sonderborg Tekikum Solgon Danmark Denmark 79:43 37.80
24 Ashiya University Sky-Ace Japan 79:48 37.76
25 Dripstone High School Aquila Australia 81:17 37.76
26 Panda-san Hosokawa-Go Japan 84:15 35.77
27 Solar Flair Solar Flair UK 84:57 35.47
28 KIA Motors ConSole to the Future South Korea 85:27 35.26
29 Team Alarus Alarus Australia 86:42 34.76
30 Annesley College EOS Australia 87:35 34.48
31 Hokuriku Electric Hokuden Phoenix Japan 89:47 33.56

Retirements

edit
Position Team Car Country Time (h:m) Speed (km/h)
32 Hokkaido Auto Sulis IV Japan 87:30 32.08
33 Team Doraemon Solaemon-Go Japan 79:50 34.77
34 Solar Japan Mainichi-Go Japan 80:10 31.73
35 Mitcham Girls High School ISIS Australia 80:10 27.39
36 Morphett Vale High School Photon Flyer Australia 67:13 31.33
37 University of Puerto Rico Discovery 500 United States 62:36 30.08
38 Team New England TNE-II United States 53:02 28.13
39 Le Soleil Le Soleil Japan 56:34 26.38
40 University of Western Ontario SunStang Canada 63:51 23.37
41 Team TR50 TR50 UK 71:20 20.92
42 San Diego State University, Suntrakker SDSU Suntrakker United States 52:10 20.55
43 Northern Territory Institute of T.A.F.E. Trader Australia 37.34 26.22
44 Meadowbank T.A.F.E. Sunseeker Australia 26:17 24.05
45 Villanova University Solarcat III United States 20:50 15.07
46 JCJS Solar Car Phi Ohn Sigma II Japan 21:55 14.33
47 Banana Enterprise Banana Enterprise Brazil 16:40 15.12
48 Hama Yumeka Japan 15:25 15.03
49 Team Heliox Switzerland 08:23 24.69
50 Team Moscow Russia 03:35 9.77

Awards

edit

This edition of the event divided entrants into different competition classes based on their photovoltaic cell and battery material, institutional type and vehicle design. Awards were given to the top three place getters in each.[6]

Silicon PV/Silver Zinc battery

edit
Position Team Car Country
1 Honda Dream Japan
2 Eng. Col. Biel Spirit of Biel III Switzerland
3 Kyocera Son of Sun Japan

Silicon PV/Lead-Acid battery

edit
Position Team Car Country
1 Team Sofix Sofix Japan
2 Team Solar Solar Flair UK
3 KIA ConSole to the Future South Korea

Schools/Private class

edit
Position Team Car Country
1 Team Philips Solar Kiwi New Zealand
2 Monash University / Melbourne University Solution Australia
3 Sonderborg Teknikum Solvogn Danmark Denmark

Two seater class

edit
Position Team Car Country
1 California State Polytechnic University Pomona Intrepid USA
2 Stanford University Sunburner USA
3 Team Alarus Alarus Australia

References

edit
  1. ^ "Honour Roll | World Solar Challenge 2023". worldsolarchallenge.org. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  2. ^ "Swiss solar team has the edse". Canberra Times. 1993-11-07. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  3. ^ Green, Martin A. (January 1994). "World solar challenge 1993: The trans‐australian solar car race". Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications. 2 (1): 73–79. doi:10.1002/pip.4670020110. ISSN 1062-7995.
  4. ^ "Motoring". Canberra Times. 1993-11-05. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  5. ^ "Solar-powered Airship". Soft Technology: Alternative Technology in Australia (47): 47–48. 1994. ISSN 0810-1434.
  6. ^ a b 140.112.14.7/~ifplab/solar/team.htm#1993