Solar-powered car travels 3,000km on less power than a kettle

A solar-powered car that uses less power than a kettle has travelled 3,000km from Darwin to Adelaide to win its category in the Global Green Challenge, one of the world’s largest green car races.

The futuristic-looking Tokai Challenger was built by a university team from Japan car and won the race with a driving time of 29 hours 49 minutes over the course of four days, which equates to an average speed of 100.54km/h.

The team attributed their success to an electric motor with an efficiency of 97%, lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) bodywork and a race that was trouble-free with the exception of one puncture.

The 62mph “Challenger” solar racing car harnesses the power of the sun using a 6m² covering of high-efficiency silicon cells incorporated into its bodywork.

The car weighs just 160kg and is powered by a motor rated at about 2kW.

How much power does the Tokai Challenger car use?

The single-seat Challenger uses approximately 2 kilowatts over the course of one hour – a single-bar electric heater typically uses 1 kilowatt. One kilowatt is equivalent to 1.34 horsepower.