The capital will be charged with excitement in January as the inaugural Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge takes place.
From 15th to 19th January 2015, 20 international teams and a UAE one will race their solar-powered vehicles against each other in a timed 1,200km contest across Abu Dhabi.
The Petroleum Institute (PI) recently launched the car that will represent the UAE, which will face teams from Japan, Australia and Europe. Details on its design remain top secret.
PI student and specialist in manufacturing lead and aerodynamics, Yazan Ahmad Sami Al Hindawi, is looking forward to the challenge. He said: “It’s quite the honour for any engineer to be a part of such an outstanding project. It’s an even greater honour to be able to represent the UAE in a race against some of the world’s finest engineering universities. The project is challenging but I am sure of our team’s capabilities.”
The team of 17 PI students has been working together for over 18 months. Shihab Mohd. Bin Solaiman, a vehicle dynamics specialist, is one of them and he can’t wait for the event to start. He said: “Given it’s our first time, it will be interesting to see how we fare against some of the best teams in solar racing. We know we have a reliable and high performance car but how we plan our race strategy is what is crucial from this point on.”
But for team leader Alatqa Waddah Talib Ali Al Hanaee, this competition is more than a car race. He said: “This car represents the UAE’s commitment to renewable energy technology while involving the brightest minds in the country in the development process.
“The car is the perfect example of the UAE’s outlook on the future and it’s stance in the face of the challenges set when taking bold risks. This is the first solar car designed and assembled in the UAE.”
There are several checkpoints in which spectators can view the cars. Qualifications will take place on 15th January at Yas Marina Circuit from 8am to 4pm, which is free to attend. The final leg will be on 19th January, from 7am to 9am, with drivers racing from Shams Power Plant in Madinat Zayed in Al Garbia to the First Gulf Bank Arena on Khaleej Al Arabi Street.
For more details on all the checkpoints, visit: www.adsolarchallenge.org
