The 2022 Sasol Solar Challenge will officially finish in Cape Town (V&A Waterfront) on 16 September. Solar cars will start arriving at the venue from 15:00 until 18:00.
The community of Cape Town and surroundings will have an opportunity to view the solar cars and support the teams as they arrive at their final and last destination of the 2022 event. On 17 September, the venue will host the Sasol Solar Challenge’s awards ceremony, to celebrate the teams and their achievements in crossing the finish line after an eight-day long endurance test.
“After travelling roughly 2 300 kilometres from Johannesburg, the solar car teams will finally conclude their journey at the V&A Waterfront. The cars will be traveling at different speeds and therefore arriving at the venue at different times. However, we look forward to seeing which team racks-up the most kilometres before crossing the finish line,” Robert Walker, Owner and Director of the Sasol Solar Challenge.
The 2022 Sasol Solar Challenge will incorporate special stages, which includes half and full blind stages, where information relating to the route will be withheld until the night before teams take on the road, forcing them to strategise last minute.
The event takes place every two years, bringing together university and high school teams, and even private engineers who have manufactured fully functioning, roadworthy solar powered cars. It runs on public roads, sharing space with trucks and regular traffic, and passes through multiple small towns.
The 2022 route from Johannesburg to Cape Town will include five provinces and 18 towns. New towns include Brakpan, Trompsburg, Willowmore, Kirkwood, Jeffreys Bay, Riversdale and Caledon. The event is also bringing new local and international teams including those competing for the first time in South Africa.
Nozipho Mbatha, Senior Manager: Group Brand and Sponsorships at Sasol said: “It would be great to see all teams cross the finish line, the same way they left the start line.” She added that: “We may have one team winning the challenge, however, there will be a lot of inspiring and success stories that will come out of the eight-day endurance challenge, as we know that the event is more than just about teams challenging each other but also about testing different STEM innovations and technologies.”
Spectators are welcome at all stops, and more information on the route and the teams can be found at:
https://www.solarchallenge.org.za/ or on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SASolarChallenge/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sasolarchallenge/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Solar_Challenge