[LINK] Solar powered transport

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Hmm .. at these speeds, it's possible that solar powered cars may perhaps
soon be able to be utilized as normal (weather permitting) road transport?

Also given that local country town railways lines are utilized for only 4 
trips a day (for Melbourne bound & return passenger trains, and never for
goods trains) why not also solar-powered train vehicles? And perhaps even
privately-owned 'passenger' vehicles utilizing our rarely used rail-lines?
It'd be easy for groups to hire a tow when the sun was obscured by clouds.

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Aussie car breaks a world speed record 

January 7, 2011 AAP <http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/aussie-
car-breaks-a-world-speed-record-20110107-19i7j.html>


An Australian car is officially the world's fastest solar-powered 
vehicle, zooming almost 10km/h above the previous record.

The solar racer Sunswift IV - known as IVy - was designed and built at 
the University of NSW.

"We've beaten the record by 10kms (per hour) - it reached a speed of 
88kms - and we think we can get it over 90kms," a UNSW spokesman told AAP 
on Friday.

Powered by silicon solar cells trapping energy from the sun, the IVy 
broke the official Guinness World Record in a time trial on Friday.

The previous record was 79km/h.

In a race in 2009 from Darwin to Adelaide, IVy hit a top speed of 103km/h 
and on Friday morning it unofficially broke the record several times in 
trial runs.

The official speed trial took place at the HMAS Albatross naval base at 
Nowra on the NSW south coast, with professional drivers Barton Mawer and 
Craig Davis at IVy's controls.

Vehicles attempting to break the speed record in the category are 
required to be powered only by solar cells. IVy normally uses its cells 
to charge a 25kg battery, but this was removed for the record attempt.

At speed the car produces about 1,200 watts, roughly the same power as a 
household toaster.

More information about IVy can be found at:  www.sunswift.com  © 2011 AAP

--

Cheers,
Stephen