Re:Could anyone tell me the purpose of this race? (Score 1)

First off, the race is not ran every year. It's ran every second year. There has been significan advancement in the solar array department in the last couple of years. The array we installed on our car is far more efficient than one we could have put on last time the race was ran. The motor we installed in ours, which is the same one the majority of the other contenders is a brand new technology as well. It's a three phase brushless DC motor that's direct drive. The company that makes it is a perfect example of why we run this race. It's few university students who came up with an idea and gathered a few bucks to start up their own business. Without this race they never would have had the chance to do any of it. They're now working converting things like Dodge Rams to use these electric motors. It's very much on the cutting edge and it really lets creativity bloom even on a shoestring budget.