Solar-hydrogen car crosses Australia


Driver Yoichiro Kosugue gives the car the thumbs up

A car that runs on hydrogen and solar power completed a gruelling journey
across Australia on Saturday in what organisers claimed was a world first
that would pave the way for "clean, green" transport.

The vehicle travelled 4084 km across the desert from Perth to Sydney over
nine days in a test of the experimental vehicle's durability.

"We could have done it in four days but we didn't want to take any chances,
we wanted to show this could be done," organiser Hans Tholstrup said.

Named Apollondine after mythical ancient Greek sun and water gods, the
vehicle was built by students at Tamagawa University in Tokyo.

The car's exhaust emissions consist of pure water, which Sydney Lord mayor
Lucy Turnbull drank from a glass after it arrived in Sydney.

Tholstrup, who pioneered solar-power car races in Australia 20 years ago,
said the journey showed alternatives to the traditional internal combusion
engine could be developed.

"If you're asking when this technology could be commercially viable, then
the answer is 'how long is a piece of string?'," he said.

"When oil hits 60 dollars a barrel then it will be viable. It could be 70 or
80 US dollars but sooner or later people will use these building blocks we
are creating.

"It's interesting that clever university students have come up with this
design, instead of the major car companies."


Reuters
[Edited 3/1/05 15:56pm]

...but does it go FAST?!!

XxAxX said:

Of course. It's all a conspiracy. When the rest of the world's oil supply is no longer sufficient, then the US will open up its stockpiles and rake in the majority of the profits. In the meantime, the oil industry and the automotive industry are probably collaborating in order to reap the benefits of such action. Conspiracy, I tell you! Conspiracy!