Pomona : Solar-Powered Car Has Its Moment in the Sun

Six days of sweating in 110-degree heat under the canopy of the Intrepid--Cal Poly Pomona’s entry in the World Solar Challenge--paid off as the solar-powered car became the first vehicle from North America to finish the race across the deserts of Australia.

Intrepid finished eighth overall and edged out ninth-place Sunforce 1 from George Washington University for the top North American spot, said Norm Schneider, Cal Poly’s news director.

About 50 cars began the 1,882-mile transcontinental race Nov. 7 in Darwin on the north coast of Australia, Schneider said.

Intrepid took about six days to complete the race and rolled across the finish line in the southern city of Adelaide on Saturday after 47.4 hours on the road. The Cal Poly car set a course record for two-person vehicles.

Dream, the $6-million entry from Honda, won the race two days earlier with an average speed of about 52 m.p.h. Intrepid averaged about 40 m.p.h.

Cal State Los Angeles’ entry, Solar Eagle II, finished fourth among U.S. entries and 13th overall.