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UFO-like vehicle built on Earth with earth-friendly designs
- 20081107
By NARELLE SUISTED
Startled onlookers in Christchurch yesterday could have been
forgiven for thinking they had seen a low-flying UFO.
However, the origins of the sleek, solar-powered
machine they saw are earthly, and its aims are earth-friendly.
Built over three years by a team headed by
electrical engineer Rob Glassey, the Solar Fern car had a
test run in Christchurch yesterday as part of the build-up
to the World Solar Challenge in Australia.
The car finished 24th out of 37 vehicles in
last year's race, which covers 3000km between Darwin and Adelaide.
"We beat teams that had twice the power
we had, and literally 100 times the money we had," Glassey
said.
"We're keen to get it up to its full
potential. Some of the solar panels we are using are 15 years
old, and there are a few things we could tweak to increase
the power.
"It's a lot of fun, people nearly fall
out of their cars when they see it."
The car, which weighs 119kg, can reach up
to 120km/h, although its cruising speed is 60km/h.
"Every time we take the car out, the
cops look sideways at us," mechanic Barry Twigley said.
"They haven't pulled us over yet though."
The Solar Fern team is based in the Christchurch
suburb of Northcote, and has managed to pass relatively unnoticed
by its neighbours.
"I've heard them every now and then,
but we probably make more noise than they do," said neighbour
Elizabeth Hyslop.
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