Traveling at an average speed of 50 mph while using only 1,000 watts of power, the students logged 4,377 miles in their cross-Canada drive, nearly double the previous record set by an Australian team. We just touched them up and we were off again, said team leader James Keirstead of the month-long journey, which began in Halifax on July 1 and ended Saturday in Vancouver. Besides the fear that their home-made vehicle might come apart, the other pitfall was some rain they encountered in the Rocky Mountains, said Keirstead. We set out just to prove that it could be done, he said. The students are from Queen s University in Kingston, Ontario, and their car, called Radiance, traps sunlight in solar cells, which produces electricity to run the motor.
Excess energy is stored in a battery pack which powers the car on cloudy days.
Resembling a spaceship, the black car has a thin oblong body with rectangular solar cells. The cabin space is large enough for one driver, who must lie flat because of the aerodynamic design. The team hoped the tour would educate the public about viable energy alternatives. Built from super-lightweight materials, the vehicle is capable of speeds of up to 43 miles an hour while using only 1,000 watts of power. With a top speed of over 78 miles per hour it can maintain highway speeds similar to gas-powered vehicles.