Panasonic-Backed Tokai University Team Wins Carrera Solar Atacama 2014 in Chile

Panasonic Corporation today announced a team from Tokai University in Japan won the Carrera Solar Atacama 2014, South America’s biggest solar car race, with a solar car that was powered by Panasonic’s HIT®* solar modules and high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.

This year’s competition in the Atacama Desert saw 25 teams from six countries participate with their vehicles fueled solely by the sun. The teams started off in Pozo Almonte in Chile on November 13 to complete a1,082-kilometer course that has altitudes ranging from zero to over 3,400 meters above sea level. Tokai University’s solar car team covered the distance in 15 hours and 20 minutes, crossing the finish line on November 17.

Panasonic also supported the team as a sponsor last year, when the students finished runner-up in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2013 in Australia. The company provided the team with its HIT® solar modules boasting the world’s highest conversion efficiency and high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. The modules and batteries demonstrated their excellent performance under the tough conditions of the race, contributing to the team’s victory.

After winning the race, Professor Hideki Kimura of Tokai University, advisor to the solar car team, commented: "Since we participated in the solar car race in South America for the first time, we had to make a lot of efforts. It was a tough course over the Andes, with a maximum elevation difference of over 3,400 meters, but we were able to conquer the challenge thanks to the high performance of Panasonic’s HIT solar cells and lithium-ion batteries, and the teamwork of the students. I’m very satisfied with such an exciting race with Chile’s team until the last day.

Photos and video of the race are posted on the Panasonic News Portal at http://news.panasonic.net/

*HIT is a registered trademark.

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and engineering of electronic technologies and solutions for customers in residential, non-residential, mobility and personal applications. Since its founding in 1918, the company has expanded globally and now operates around 500 consolidated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.74 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2014. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company strives to create a better life and a better world for its customers. For more information about Panasonic, please visit the company’s website at http://panasonic.net/.