German students build car that can hit 130kph on solar power

AACHEN (Germany): Students in Germany have developed a solar-powered car that can reach speeds of up to 130kph and with a battery range that rivals Tesla's Model S.

The students from the western-German city of Aachen want their flat electric racer to take part in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, a 3,022km route across Australia in October.

While solar power is often cited as a vital means of shifting energy supplies away from reliance on climate-changing fossil fuels, solar has so far made little impact on the automotive industry.

Dutch start-up Lightyear announced plans to build a "car you don't have to charge for months" with a partially solar-powered electric car, before filing for bankruptcy in early 2023.

In the German student project called the Sun Chariot, the fourth such electric car built by the university team, large solar cells are mounted on the white-painted racing car.

"The battery lasts for 600 kilometres," says Clemens Odendahl, who is responsible for project's marketing. The 51 participating students from RWTH Aachen University and Aachen University of Applied Sciences developed the vehicle in one and a half years.

Students from 15 degree programmes were involved, including prospective mechanical engineers, industrial engineers and electrical engineers. The flat vehicle has a very narrow driver's cabin and is shaped like an arrow.