A hero’s reception greeted the Malaysian 2015 World Solar Challenge team upon their arrival in Adelaide from Darwin despite finishing among the last in the 3,000km race.
Comprising aspiring students from Mara University of Technology (UiTM), the Malaysia’s EcoPhoton Solar team has been lauded by the organisers for its courage and determination to complete the race which featured 46 teams from 25 countries.
Teams had to build their own cars, equipped with five kilowatts of stored energy and fuelled solely by sun or kinetic energy.
UiTM’s car, dubbed ‘Stingray’ due to its design, cost about RM250,000 to build, mainly sponsored by Proton.
Recalling the most challenging incident during the race, car driver Muhammad Bokhari Hassan said the team was on the verge of giving up on the first day of the race when it caught fire due to engine failure.
“But it was our burning desire to complete the race, and with help and support from the other teams, we managed to resolve the crisis and got the car back on track the next day,” he said in a press statement.
From having sleepless nights to complete the building of the solar car to braving the harsh conditions of sleeping on the campsite and having to race under the desert’s scorching sun in central Australia, the Malaysian team led by Azwan Abdullah overcame the physical and mental challenge.
The UiTM team’s 18 months of hard work paid off when it cruised across the finishing line in Adelaide, with Malaysians led by former Adelaide consul Datuk Hassan Salleh proudly waving Malaysian flags.
The Malaysians’ teamwork and dedication earned them the ‘David Fewchuk Spirit of the Event Award’ during the awards ceremony in Adelaide on Sunday.
Azwan said the team would not have come this far without the help and support from corporate and institutional bodies in Malaysia, their lecturers who provided a helping hand, as well as the public who had shown much interest during this “epic journey”.
UiTM has set its sights on representing Malaysia at the next international event expected to be held in Chile.
Source: Bernama
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