With UN climate change bigwig Yvo De Boer waving from the passenger seat, the first solar-powered car to travel around the world completed its journey yesterday by smashing through a wall of polystyrene bricks at the climate conference in Poznan, Poland (‘Solar Taxi’ website).
Louis Palmer, a Swiss teacher, has driven the car through 38 countries – reportedly being turned away only by Japan, which does not allow cars with Swiss license plates. “I think it’s great; he’s driven around the world in this thing so that’s a world record,” said De Boer (Reuters).
The small blue three-wheeler tows a trailer full of solar panels and batteries, which Palmer sometimes charged from local electricity sources when sun was scarce – in the Polish winter, for instance.
Next year, Palmer plans to take six more low-carbon cars around the world in 80 days.
See also
Car industry: Charging up the future – Nature
Solar car completes 1st ever round-the-world trip – AP
‘Solar taxi’ goes round the world – BBC).