Local News
First solar car to cross the border into Sub-Saharan Africa leaves Jhb─── 15:21 Thu, 18 Jun 2015
Bloemfontein - The first solar car to cross the border into Sub-Saharan Africa has left Johannesburg on its 4 160 km road trip.
The 2015 African Solar Drive is the start of a Sub-Saharan adventure which sees Ilanga II, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Energy Movement’s solar powered electric car, cross the border into Namibia and Botswana.
The UJ Energy Movement Programme Manager, Nickey Janse van Rensburg says this project is aimed at bringing awareness to the community and to encourage young people to take up sciences and mathematics at school.
During the educational road trip, engineering students will be collecting and analysing data to optimise the performance of the vehicle, which will later be used to attempt to set the solar-only land speed world record.
Janse van Rensburg says the UJ Energy Movement programme was established in 2010 to help promote skills development and sustainability through technology innovation.
The 2015 African Solar Drive route and lecture dates are as follows:
·Thursday, 18 June:UJSolar Lab - Kimberley (Public Lecture)
·Friday, 19 June: Kimberley – Upington (Public Lecture)
·Saturday, 20 June: Upington – Hakskeen Pan – Rietfontein Border Control – Keetmans Hoop
·Sunday, 21 June: Keetmanshoop – Mariental – Rehoboth
·Monday, 22 June: Rehoboth – Windhoek (Public Lecture)
·Tuesday, 23 June: Windhoek– Swakopmund – Walvis Bay
·Wednesday, 24 June: Walvis Bay – Swakopmund
·Thursday, 25 June: Swakopmund – Windhoek – Buitepos
·Friday, 26 June: Buitepos – Kang
·Saturday, 27 June: Kang – Sekoma – Kanye – Gaborone
·Sunday, 28 June: Gaborone Day
·Monday, 29 June: Gaborone(Public Lecture) – UJ Solar Lab.
Thandi Xaba/OFM News
