The Indy 500 may be fun, but it's got nothing on the American Solar Challenge. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, this clean and energy-efficient event challenges teams of college students to design, build, and race solar-powered automobiles across the United States. This year's ASC took 20 teams on a 10-day, 2300-mile trek along historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Solar Miner IV from the University of Missouri-Rolla won with a record-breaking time of 51:47:39. The University of Minnesota took second with a 56:36:31 time, followed by the University of Waterloo at 58:11:20. These cars are powered by banks of solar cells that charge a variety of batteries, from $2500 lead-acid sets to $10,000 lithium-ion kits. The cars' construction could be made of simple fiberglass and wood or aluminum, or they can use advanced, lightweight composites. For more information, go to www.americansolarchallenge.org.
