23/07/2003

A race for vehicles powered exclusively by solar energy and a call for proposals for designing the first Greek solar vehicle are included in "Phaethon 2004?, an initiative realised in the frame of the Cultural Olympiad 2001-2004. The events are organised by the Hellenic Institute of Electric Vehicles in collaboration with the Automobile Club of Greece - ELPA and the "4 Wheels" magazine, with the support of the Hellenic Cultural Organization SA and the Ministry of Development.

The aim of "Phaethon 2004" is to send a strong and clear message to the world on the necessity of protecting the environment from destructive human activities and promoting the exploitation of renewable energy sources. The Olympic Ideal calls for the respect of humankind as he functions within his natural environment.

The initiative envisages a "circuit race" and a "rally race" in asphalt roadway for solar powered and solar-electric vehicles, organized on 22-29 May 2004. The vehicles, which are products of applied material technology and scientific research conducted by researchers from all over the world, will be gathered in Athens and will follow the route Patras - Olympia- Itea - Athens, of total distance 795 km.

The Greek participation in this symbolic event is the reason for the call for proposals for designing a solar vehicle. The call is addressed to Greek scientists and engineers who are expected to submit their proposals by 30/09/2003. The call concerns only the phase of designing the vehicle, leaving the following stage of construction to initiatives of other interested bodies.

The presentation of the "Phaethon 2004" initiative took place on 15/07/2003 in Athens. During the press conference, the solar vehicle "Nuna", the winner of the Australian race "World Solar Challenge 2001" was exposed on a platform. The vehicle was constructed by ten Dutch researchers, with an average age of 24-25, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). Its basic characteristics are: 280 kilos weight, 5m length and 1,8m width. The construction of "Nuna" cost approximately one million euro.