The big tussle is for second place, with the Australian team Aurora 101, based in Melbourne, just one minute ahead of the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team from the US. Both are 50 kilometres behind Nuna 11.

One of the favourites, Queen's University, from Canada, reached the second checkpoint at Dunmarra by 5pm tonight to claim fourth place, while the Southern Taiwan University of Technology's Apollo lV car is in fifth place just north of Dunmarra.

The cars, which are only able to drive between 8am and 5pm each day, must pass through seven compulsory checkpoints during the 3010 kilometre journey from Darwin to Adelaide: Katherine, Dunmarra, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Cadney, Glendambo and Port Augusta.

A hot favourite before the start of the competition, the Nuon Solar Team was disappointed with Nuna's performance in time trials in Darwin yesterday after it finished 10th.

But the Nuna car confirmed its superiority in the early stages of the competition today, quickly overtaking the rest of the field.

Nuon Solar Team is the defending champion after making the 3010-kilometre crossing to Adelaide in a record time of 32 hours and 39 minutes in 2001. The Dutch have since made significant improvements to their car which boasts a top speed of 170kph. Aurora was second in 2001 and won the event in 1999.

There are 22 teams competing in this year's World Solar Challenge, with seven cars from Australia and other vehicles from Japan, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Malaysia, the Netherlands, France and Germany.

earlier related report
Darwin - Oct 19, 2003
On 19 October 30 cars began jostling for position at the start of the 7th World Solar Challenge in Darwin, Australia. After winning in 2001 with Nuna I, the Nuon Solar Team, from the Netherlands, will be bidding to retain their title.

The strong team of twelve from Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam are determined to beat the world record and try to average 100 km/h, compared to 91.81 km/h in 2001.

Nuna II uses advanced space technology, provided to the team through ESA's Technology Transfer Programme, enabling the car to reach a theoretical top speed of over 170 km/h.

The aerodynamically optimised outer shell consists of space-age reinforced plastics to keep it light and strong. The main body is made from reinforced carbon fibre and aramide, a material used in satellites, but nowadays also in high-performance equipment such as bulletproof vests.

The car's shell is covered with the best triple-junction gallium arsenide solar cells, developed for satellites. The same cells are being tested on the SMART-1 satellite launched to the Moon on 28 September this year.

Nuna II also carries Maximum Power Point Trackers, small devices that guarantee an optimal balance between power from the battery and the solar cells, even in less favourable situations like shade and cloud.

"Will they win? I am sure they have a great chance," says Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutch astronaut and today a professor at Delft University. "They have worked hard and with great dedication."

In pursuit of their goal, the student team have collected an impressive line-up of supporters. ESA has provided them not only with engineering support through its Technology Transfer Programme, but with general support from its Education Office. Dutch energy company Nuon is the main sponsor.

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