This year’s American Solar Challenge starts in Plano

Posted on June 29th, 2008 in Energy/Fuel by staff

The American Solar Challenge (ASC) is a competition to design, build and race solar-powered cars in a cross-country event. 

In July 2008, there will be a special edition of ASC, the North American Solar Challenge (NASC).  Solar cars will travel across the United States into Canada. The competition begins in Plano, Texas mainly following U.S. Highway 75 and Canadian Highway 1 to the finish line in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a total distance of 2,400 miles.

If you want to see this in action, the cars will be starting here on July 13th at Plano Centre, 2000 E Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano, TX 75074.

 solar car challenge

The preliminary team list includes a mixture of veteran and rookie teams from across the United States and Canada as well as Germany and Great Britain.

NASC sponsors include Toyota and Crowder College M.A.R.E.T. Center.  The event is designed to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and engineering.  NASC’s predecessors, the American Solar Challenge and Sunrayce, generally have been held every two years since 1990.  With each event, the solar cars travel faster and further with greater reliability.

The NASC promotes:

  • Renewable energy technologies (specifically photovoltaic or “solar cells”)
    Educational excellence in science, engineering and mathematics
  • Creative integration of technical and scientific expertise across a wide-range of  disciplines
  • “Hands-on” experience for students and engineers to develop and demonstrate their technical and creative abilities
  • Environmental consciousness

Safety is the first priority for the NASC solar car event.  Each team must put its car through grueling qualifying and technical inspections.  Teams that fail to meet the requirements will not participate.  During the event, each team is escorted by lead and chase vehicles sporting rooftop hazard flashers.  An official observer will accompany each solar car team to keep it alert to any safety issues.

The start/checkpoints/stage stops and finish locations are as follows:  Start: Plano, Texas; Checkpoint: McAlester, OK; Stage Stop: Neosho, MO; Checkpoints:  Topeka, KS; Omaha, NE; Stage Stop: Sioux Falls, SD; Checkpoint:  Fargo, ND; Stage Stop: Winnipeg, Manitoba; Checkpoints:  Bandon, Manitoba; Regina, Saskatchewan; Stage Stop: Medicine Hat, Alberta; Finish:  Calgary, Alberta.

To learn more about NASC, please visit:  http://americansolarchallenge.org/


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