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Running on sunshine (video)

The Schulich Axiom looks pretty cool but it’s anything but cool inside the driver’s seat.Mico Madamesila says it is always hotter than ambient temperature and there’s no such thing as wind.
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While the car was exhibited outside of the front doors of Stettler Elementary school


STETTLER — The Schulich Axiom looks pretty cool but it’s anything but cool inside the driver’s seat.

Mico Madamesila says it is always hotter than ambient temperature and there’s no such thing as wind.

“When you’re in the car, it’s like a little greenhouse,” said Madamesila. “There’s a little duct at the front and it channels wind blowing into your face and it works pretty well sometimes.”

Madamesila is part of the University of Calgary’s solar team, which designed and built the sleek solar car over two years.

The third-generation 160-kg (353-pound) car is on the road prepping for the World Solar Challenge in Australia in October.

At a pit stop at Stettler Elementary School on Monday, crowds formed to catch a glimpse of the future.

“You will always get a lot of head turning,” laughed Madamesila. “It is kinda neat. You feel like a little bit of a celebrity.”

The road trip allows the team to work out the bugs in the car, train the drivers and teach students about sustainability.

The test drive began on Friday and wraps up on May 16. The convoy consists of a lead car, a chase car, and a tractor and trailer unit manned by the support crews.

Tim Gamber, electrical engineering manager and race strategist, said there hasn’t been any major hiccups in the first few days.

“It’s been running very smoothly,” said Gamber. “We’ve been just tweaking a few things as we go. There’s no major problems yet.”

In the 2010 American Solar Challenge, the team placed sixth out of 18 teams that raced from Tulsa, Okla., to Chicago, Ill. The team won awards for the car’s mechanical systems and sportsmanship.

Since that time, the team has modified the car to meet the regulations for the Australian race and to give them a better shot at a winning. The team removed close to 2,000 space-grade solar cells and switched to 250 silicon solar cells, reconstructed the top shell and redesigned the driver’s seat.

Gamber said it will take a very light weight and aerodynamic vehicle to win the race.

“We think we have both this time,” he said. “Over our last version of this car, we’ve dropped 200 pounds (90 kg) off so far and we’re still working on it to lighten it up. Also we have improved our aerodynamics by integrating our solar cell right into the shell.”

Schulich Axiom will compete against top teams from several countries, including the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium. The 3,000-km race begins in Darwin and ends in Adelaide.

Four drivers were trained for the race. After the current roadtrip ends, the team will have a few weeks to tweak the car before they ship it to Australia.

Madamesila feels he is ready for the challenge. Since last summer’s race, he has gained more insight on the mechanics of the car and feels more confident in his troubleshooting from a driver’s perspective. Unlike the two-minute staggered start at the American Solar Challenge, the World Solar Challenge is likely to be a group start.

“It will be a messy show at the beginning but it will even itself up pretty soon afterwards,” he said.

The solar project came with a $650,000 pricetag, which includes the materials for the car, the logistics and competing in the competition. Next stop for the solar car is the Telus World of Science in Edmonton today and Aurora Elementary School in Drayton Valley on Wednesday, Sylvan Lake on Thursday at Fox Run Middle School/Ecole Mother Teresa and at Ponoka Elementary School in Ponoka on Friday.

crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com