World Solar Challenge 1996

1996 World Solar Challenge
The 4th edition of the World Solar Challenge
Host CountryAustralia Australia
Dates run24 October-5 November 1996
StartDarwin, Australia
FinishAdelaide, Australia
Total Distance (km)3,010
Results
WinnerHonda Japan
2ndBiel Switzerland
3rdAisin Seiki Japan

The 1996 World Solar Challenge was an edition of the trans-Australian solar-powered car race across 3,000 km (1,900 mi) of highway through the Australian Outback from Darwin, Northern Territory to Adelaide, South Australia.

It was the fourth such edition of the event, held every three years since 1987.

The race was won by the 'Dream II' car from Honda's research and development team for the second consecutive event, ahead of a combined engineering school team from Biel, Switzerland. Honda broke its own race record, completing the course at an average speed of 89.76 km/h.[1]

Event founder and adventurer Hans Tholstrup sold the event to a winning bid from the South Australian Government following the 1996 edition.[2]

Entrants

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There were 48 listed entrants as part of the event, with 32 completing the course.

Among those participants were teams from automotive manufacturers Honda and Mitsubishi. The Biel College of Engineering team included contributions from several schools in the Biel-Bienne region. Return competitors and pre-event favourites included Honda, Japanese automotive components manufacturer Aisin Seiki, and the Victoria-based Aurora Vehicle Association.[3]

It also marked the first appearance of the University of New South Wales 'Sunswift' car. Cars were able to be either one or two-seaters.

Route

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The World Solar Challenge runs across approximately 3,000 km from Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.

Results

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[4]

Place Team name Country Time (hr:mm) Average speed (km/h) Distance (km)
1 Honda R&D Dream II Japan 33:32 89.76 3010
2 United High Schools of Biel sCHooler Switzerland 35:00 86.00 3010
3 Aisin Seiki Co Ltd Aisol Japan 37:18 80.70 3010
4 Mitsubishi Mitsubish Japan 45:07 66.72 3010
5 University of Queensland SunShark Australia 46:24 64.87 3010
6 Waseda University Waseda Japan 46:38 64.55 3010
7 Northern Territory University Desert Rose Australia 48:02 62.66 3010
8 O.S.U. Simon Japan 49:52 60.36 3010
9 University of New South Wales sUNSWift Australia 56:32 53.24 3010
10 Tokyo Salesian Polytechnic Ikuei Neo II Japan 61.26 49.00 3010
11 Queens University Canada 61.29 48.96 3010
12 University of Western Ontario Sunstang Canada 63.59 47.04 3010
13 Tokai HS Japan 65.35 45.90 3010
14 Mino Family Team Mino Family IV Japan 66.57 44.96 3010
15 Tokai University Japan 67.10 44.81 3010
16 Lake Tuggeranong College Spirit of Canberra Australia 67.15 44.76 3010
17 Japanese Crested Ibis Fine Japan 67.51 44.36 3010
18 SunBa Solar Car Team SunBa Brazil 68.43 43.80 3010
19 Team Kataro Kira Kira Fighter III Japan 70.12 42.88 3010
20 Association Helios Helios France 70.49 42.50 3010
21 France for W.S.C. Heliotrope France 71.31 42.90 3010
22 Hokkaido Automo. Eng. College Sulis V Japan 72.22 41.59 3010
23 Kirenjaku Kirenjaku Japan 73.17 41.07 3010
24 Nippon Electronics College Sonec Japan 73.34 40.91 3010
25 UC Berkeley / Stanford University Afterburner United States 74.17 40.52 3010
26 Soenderborg Teknikum Solvogn Danmark Denmark 74.21 40.48 3010
27 McGill University Northern Sun Canada 74.25 40.45 3010
28 Team Jona Sun Jona Sun Japan 75.59 39.61 3010
29 Yokohama National University Japan 80:04 37.59 3010
30 Pumpkinseed Japan 82:44 36.38 3010
31 Annesley College Australia 83:51 35.90 3010
32 South Bank University Mad Dog UK 84:04 35.80 3010

Retirements/non-finishers

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Team name Car Country Distance (km)
Los Altos High School (Hacienda Heights, California) United States
Akita Hama Zero Japan
Mexico Team Mexico 1927.2
Detlef Schmitz Helio Det Germany 1690
Poli Solar Citizen Eco Drive/USP Brazil 60

Pre-race withdrawals

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Team name Car Country
Team Holy Cheat Holy Cheat II UK
Dripstone High School Australia
Kormilda College Australia
Winston School USA
Firm Chrisante Italy
University Teknoligi Malaysia
Shalom Catholic College Goodlife Bug Australia
Panda San Panda San 96 Japan
Aurora Aurora Q1 Australia

Class winners and Awards

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A number of prizes were awarded following the event as well as recognition of individual class winners.[4]

Silicon PV/Silver Zinc battery class

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Place Team name Car Country
1 Honda R&D Dream II Japan
2 United High Schools of Biel sCHooler Switzerland
3 Aisin Seiki Co Ltd Aisol Japan

Silicon PV/Lead-acid battery class

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Place Team name Car Country
1 University of Queensland SunShark Australia
2 University of New South Wales Sunswift Australia
3 McGill University Team Northern Sun Northern Sun USA

School class

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Place Team name Car Country
1 University of Queensland SunShark Australia
2 University of New South Wales Sunswift Australia
3 McGill University Team Northern Sun Northern Sun Canada

Private class

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Place Team name Car Country
1 Mino Family Team Mino Family IV Japan
2 SunBA Solar Car Team SunBA Japan
3 Team Kataro Kira Kira Fighter III Japan

School Awards

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Category Team name Car Country
Asia Tokai Technical High School Tokai Falcon Japan
Americas Los Altos High School Sun Shadow USA
Europe Association of Helios Helios France
Australia Annesley College EOS Australia

Other Awards

Category Team name Car Country
Best Amorphous Japanese Crested Ibis Fine Japan
Renewable Materials Award Team Jona Sun Jona Sun Japan
Mal Trainer Battler Award South Bank University Mad Dog UK
GM Sunraycer Award for Technical Innovation University of Queensland SunShark Australia
Katherine Clunies Ross Award Los Altos High School Sun Shadow USA

References

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  1. ^ "Honour Roll | World Solar Challenge 2023". worldsolarchallenge.org. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  2. ^ "History of the World Solar Challenge". 2001-04-06. Archived from the original on 2001-04-06. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  3. ^ Green, Martin A. (January 1997). "Event Report. Brain Sport: The 1996 World Solar Challenge Solar Car Race Across Australia". Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications. 5 (1): 69–76. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-159X(199701/02)5:1<69::AID-PIP157>3.0.CO;2-N.
  4. ^ a b "Team List". 140.112.14.7. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
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