The ceremony was attended by the teams that took part in the eco-car and solar-car categories of the Global Green Challenge, as well as by event staff and members of the South Australia and Northern Territory governments. Excitement gradually built up as the representatives and support members of each team came up on stage to receive their commemorative plaques—and it peaked when the Tokai University team was called up to receive its prize.
On stage were the 13 Tokai University students, Professor Hideki Kimura (Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Tokai University School of Engineering), and the graduates who lent their support to the mission. Team leader Tsuyoshi Takeuchi received the plaque on behalf of the team, while Kota Tokuda accepted the World Solar Cup.
Professor Kimura talked about the significance of race win. “Looking back on the race I realize once again how significant this victory was given the fact that we were competing against university powerhouses from around the world, such as the University of Michigan, the Delft University of Technology, Bochum University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Tokai Challenger covered the 2,998 kilometers from Darwin to the finishing checkpoint on the outskirts of Adelaide in 29 hours and 49 minutes, averaging 100.54 kilometers per hour. This breaks the record set in the 2007 race, which was run under the same regulations as this year’s event and won by the Delft University of Technology’s Nuna4 solar car in 33 hours averaging 90.87 kilometers per hour.
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Tokai University team that is pleased for commemoration plate and the world solar cup to hang by victory ceremony each other
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