**Media may contact:**

Christopher Powers, DOE, 720-320-8692, <christopher.powers@go.doe.gov>

Anna Martinez-Barnish, DOE, 720-320-8694,
<anna.martinez-barnish@go.doe.gov>

Media Relations, Natural Resources Canada, 613-992-4447,
[media@nrcan.gc.ca]{.underline}

George Douglas, NREL, 720-353-7540, <george_douglas@nrel.gov>

# Competitors Set to Start Longest Solar Car Challenge

# in the World

***Twenty teams to drive from Austin to Calgary solely on sun-power***

**Austin, Texas** -- Twenty teams have qualified to compete in the North
American Solar Challenge (NASC) and drive along U.S. Route 75 and the
Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) in cars powered only by sunshine.

The cars leave Austin's Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800
North Congress Avenue at 9am Sunday, July 17, and arrive in Calgary,
Alberta, Wednesday, July 27, making history as the first solar car
competitors to cross an international border. The car that completes the
2,500-mile trip with the least cumulative time will be the winner of the
2005 NASC, the longest solar car contest in the world.

Teams will be on display as they make final preparations for the
competition on the museum's north lawn from 9:30am to 4:00pm today, July
16, and the general public is encouraged to come look "under the hood"
of these unique cars. Designs for the vehicles often are aerodynamic,
sleek and colorful, with solar cells covering the car body.

The public also is encouraged to come cheer the solar car teams on
Sunday morning at 9:00am for the exciting start of this historic
international cross-country rayce into Canada. Starting ceremonies begin
at 8:30am. In addition, the public and media can follow the competition
online at
[http://www.americansolarchallenge.org](http://www.americansolarchallenge.org/),
where daily standings and other updates will be posted. High-resolution
JPEG photos with photo captions are available at
<https://www.eere-pmc.energy.gov/nasc05>.

The NASC route includes checkpoints in Weatherford, Texas; Broken Arrow,
Okla.; Topeka, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Fargo, N.D.;
Winnipeg, Manitoba; Brandon, Manitoba, Regina, Saskatchewan; and
Medicine Hat, Alberta, before reaching the finish in Calgary.

The University of Minnesota had the best qualifying time in the May
qualifying event in Kansas and will start first, with the other cars
following at 1-minute internals in the order of their qualifying times.
Iowa State University will start second, and Auburn University will
leave third.

A second qualifying events and safety checks were held this week at the
Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. To qualify to compete in
the NASC, each team drove its solar car at least 120 miles on the track
at an average speed of at least 25 mph. In addition to the qualifying
laps, all teams had to undergo rigorous safety and reliability checks at
Travis County Expo Center in Austin, Texas. (Editor's Note: A list of
qualifying teams, in start order, follows.)

NASC cars must be powered solely by sunshine. The teams use photovoltaic
(solar) cells to convert sunlight into electricity to power their cars.
Weather and energy management play important roles in the contest. The
cars mostly travel at highway speeds and are required to obey local
speed limits, but in general the sunnier the day, the faster and farther
the cars can run. Bright days also allow the cars to "fill up" their
batteries for cloudy or rainy days.

The contest is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Natural
Resources Canada, DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, TransAlta,
University of Calgary, CSI Wireless, AMD and Manitoba Transportation and
Government Services.

DOE's overarching mission is enhancing national security. The priorities
of the department's energy programs are to increase domestic energy
production, revolutionize our approach to energy conservation and
efficiency, and promote the development of renewable and energy
efficiency technologies. NREL is DOE's primary national laboratory for
renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is
operated for DOE by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle.

Number range CHAPTERThe department conducts innovative science to
generate ideas and transfer technologies, and represents Canada's
international interests to meet our global commitments related to
natural resources. By promoting the responsible use of natural
resources, NRCan builds on the Government of Canada's commitment to
ensuring the quality of life in communities, a health environment and
continued economic prosperity "for the Canada we want, for ourselves and
for future generations."

\###

Start Order Team Car \#

1 University of Minnesota 35

2 Iowa State University 9

3 Auburn University 7

4 Stanford University 16

5 University of Michigan 2

6 CalSol 254

7 University of Missouri -- Rolla 42

8 University of Missouri -- Columbia 43

9 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6

10 Western Michigan University 786

11 University of Waterloo 24

12 Principia College 32

13 University of Calgary 65

14 Northwestern University 11

15 Red River College 95

16 Illinois State 88

17 Kansas State University 28

18 McMaster University 116

19 Queen's University 100

20 Southern Illinois University -- Edwardsville 57