Three Dutch teams to participate in Morocco solar car race
Student teams from Delft, Groningen, and Twente will compete this week in Morocco in the solar car race Solar Challenge. With racing cars that run on solar energy, the three Dutch and four other teams will try to cover 2,500 kilometers as quickly as possible.
The race, which starts and finishes in the western Moroccan port city of Agadir, is the alternative to the World Solar Challenge in Australia, considered the world championship of solar racing. Due to strict coronavirus restrictions in Australia, it is currently impossible to organize that race.
With seven teams, the new event in Morocco is a lot smaller than the last one in Australia in 2019, when around 50 cars appeared at the start, according to Classic Events. The Dutch organizer of the solar race said that except for the Japanese delegates, all top teams will be present this year.
Less than a week before the race, Morocco announced a flight ban to and from the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The race was not in danger, as all teams were already in Morocco, a spokesperson said. The organization has had employees and media fly via Brussels.
Every day, the participants will drive a route of about 500 kilometers on public roads through mountains and the desert. The team that records the fastest split time over all days with their solar car wins. The finish is Friday afternoon.
