Cambridge students' solar-powered racing car unveiled.

Cambridge students solar-powered racing car unveiled

London, Jul 7 (PTI) A solar-powered racing car that cruises at 60mph using the same power as a hairdryer, created by students at Cambridge University has been unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Previously codenamed Bethany, but launched under its official name, Endeavour, the car is being touted as Britains brightest hope for the Global Green Challenge, a gruelling 3,000 km race straight across the Australian Outback this autumn.

It is one of Cambridges 2009 projects marking its 800th anniversary and is student team Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER)s first ever entry into the race.

Named after the famous ship with which Captain Cook sailed from England to Australia, the cars power comes entirely from solar energy captured by a 6m[sup.2] covering of high-efficiency silicon cells.

Underneath this solar skin, however, the car is essentially an ultra-efficient electric vehicle, which designers say could provide a model for other forms of green transportation.

At the launch, Jenson Button, the current F1 World Championship leader, said, Theres some very impressive technology in this racing car. It may be a world away from an F1 car in terms of power, but to get a car to drive at 60mph using two horsepower takes cutting-edge engineering.