A record 45 teams from 26 countries took part in the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, with the Dutch dominating the event – winning two out of the three race categories. Teams were faced with extreme weather conditions as they travelled 3,000km from Darwin to Adelaide, using only solar energy to power their vehicles.
“Our congratulations go to all the teams that participated in the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge,” said Andrew Moffatt, Bridgestone Australia and New Zealand Managing Director.
“Travelling more than 3,000km using only the power of the sun is significant in its own right, but to do this while facing extreme weather conditions, including high temperatures and gale force winds, certainly makes this an achievement to be admired.
“Bridgestone has a global commitment to continually working toward a sustainable society and the Bridgestone World Solar Car Challenge 2013 is a natural extension of this as it encourages and promotes investment and innovation in solar technology.
“It’s also fitting that this event traverses this great country of ours – from metropolitan areas to regional and through the remote heart of Australia – because Bridgestone does too ,with 282 Bridgestone Select and Bridgestone Service Centre retail outlets located across the country.”
The Dutch dominated the 2013 Bridgestone Solar Challenge, winning both the elite Challenger Class as well as the Cruiser Class categories. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2013 was the 12th running of the event since 1987. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2013 featured three separate classes; the ‘Adventure Class’ for pre-2013 event cars, the ‘Cruiser Class’ for vehicles designed for practicality and the elite ‘Challenger Class’, which competed for line honours with the fastest overall time.
