Solar Car Successfully Drives Over Frozen Arctic Ocean
12/04/10
Power of One first solar car to cross one of the world’s longest ice roads
TUKTOYAKTUK, NWT-----The Power of One solar car, partly sponsored by TELUS World of Science – Edmonton, arrived in the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories on Saturday evening April 10 after successfully traveling 187km (116 miles) from the town of Inuvik over one of the longest seasonal ice roads in the world, using only the stored energy from the sun in its batteries as fuel. The expedition took 9.5 hours from start to finish. The creative force behind the project, Marcelo da Luz, drove the three-wheeled, non-heated solar car over terrain treacherous even for large semi-trucks.
Temperature at departure was -7° C and skies were sunny; the wind was from the south. Towards the beginning of the trip, the solar car was able to reach speeds of 70 km/h traveling over smooth and wavy ice. Worsening conditions over the Arctic Ocean close to Tuktoyaktuk forced da Luz to slow to 30 – 40 km/h.
The team dealt with four flat tires when ice cracks several inches wide, running parallel with the road, swallowed the solar car’s wheels. Alarming spinouts came to be expected as da Luz alternated driving on ice and snow. The team had to weigh risks between slipping and hitting a snow covered crack. Temperature on the ice road dropped to -10° C. The solar car departed Inuvik with a complete charge and arrived to Tuktoyatuk “on solar fumes.”
The ice was approximately 1.5 – 2 meters (4.5 - 6 feet) thick and rated for loads not to exceed 60,000 kilos (66 tons). At the last section of the drive, a frozen pressure wave to the right indicated that the road was out in the open Arctic Ocean.
On Saturday April 10 at 8:30 p.m. The Power of One (Xof1) accomplished its mission. However, the team will push themselves even further are planning for a return drive to Inuvik on Tuesday, April 13 after recharging the solar car batteries with the Arctic Sun. The return trip promises additional challenges. Recent sunny weather creates uncertainty surrounding ice road conditions.
Read the April 13, 2010 Edmonton Journal article about the journey here.
For more information, visit www.XOF1.com
Contacts:
Lydia Perr
Dan VanKeeken
TELUS World of Science – Edmonton
780-218-1473 or 780-452-9100
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