Bangkok--7 Aug--Francom Asia
German Environment Minister officiates at send-off for Huawei solar racer
The Huawei Sonnenwagen is ready for the world's toughest solar race. A team of students from RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen have worked on the fully solar-powered race car for two years. Now the car, with Huawei as its main sponsor, has been introduced and given an official send-off to Australia, where it will take part in the World Solar Challenge 2017 – a 3,000-kilometer race through the Australian Outback. The Sonnenwagen is the only German representative in the tough 'Challenger' racing class.
"Sonnenwagen is a successful example of mobility powered by clean energy," said Dr. Barbara Hendricks, Germany's Federal Minister for the Environment during a presentation at ewerk in Berlin."Through their exemplary commitment to the first German Sonnenwagen at the World Solar Challenge, the students of RHTW Aachen are highlighting the potential for this type of engine. For electrical cars and trucks, solar can be an additional source of power. We are without a doubt only at the beginning of our possibilities," she noted.
The idea for Sonnenwagen was born in the summer of 2015. The goal at the time was participating in the world championship for solar cars. Now, the car from Aachen will head to Australia in October to compete there.
"In order to prevail in the Australian Outback, the vehicles will have to make optimal use of the available solar energy," said Xue Ming, Vice President of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. "Thanks to its high-tech design and low weight, Sonnenwagen has an extremely high energy efficiency. Our technology contributes to adjusting the driving strategy in real time according to external conditions such as weather changes. It also enables permanent communication between the driver and the team, even in areas without stable telecommunications infrastructure."
Guests in Berlin got a glimpse of the car's capabilities themselves during a test drive on the grounds of ewerk. "After two eventful years full of small and big challenges, we are extremely proud to be able to present our Huawei Sonnenwagen," said Niklas Kaltz, Second Chairman and co-founder of Sonnenwagen Aachen e.V. "With our solar race car, we want to contribute to researching tomorrow's technologies to help future forms of mobility become even more sustainable. We are delighted to see that we are able to awaken so many people's interest in sustainable mobility and we are thrilled with anticipation for the world championship for solar cars in October."
The idea for the Sonnenwagen was born in a shared flat in Aachen. During the span of just a few months, a team of 40 students came together to realize the ambitious project. After the farewell in Berlin, the whole team and their equipment will relocate to Australia by air and by sea prior to the race from Darwin to Adelaide, which will take place in October.