HCM City to host first solar vehicle race

Scientists and students will gather in HCM City's Sai Gon Hi-tech Park next month to showcase self-made solar powered vehicles.

 

Organised for the first time by the HCM City Department of Science and Technology, together with the City Energy Conservation Centre, the race will take place on October 24 in an effort to promote research into, and application of, solar energy in communities nation-wide.

To date, around 30 teams comprising of students and scientists from several universities and institutes from across the country have registered to join the race, according to Huynh Kim Tuoc, director of the City Energy Conservation Centre.

The competition will be made accessible to all individuals and organisations currently operating in Viet Nam, the organising board planning to receive registrations up until the end of this month.
"We expect the race to be organised on an annual basis in order to give Viet Nam an opportunity to solve its environmental issues," Tuoc said.
Each team has been provided with a 244wp (watt peak) solar battery for use in their vehicles, technical support for which is set to come from the HCM City University of Technology and the HCM City University of Natural Sciences.
Doan Tat Linh, a lecturer from the HCM City University of Technical Education, said that the race would be very interesting seeing as creating a solar powered car, never mind controlling it, was pretty difficult.
"An environmentally friendly, solar powered vehicle, run experimentally last weekend, drew a lot of public attention," Linh said.

The race is set to be sponsored by the Danish embassy.

(Source: VietNamNet/Viet Nam News)