Jul 21, 2009 10:54 am US/Eastern
Plantation Students Launch Solar Car Into 1st
PLANTATION, FL (CBS) ―
The sun: it's the one thing that any South Florida resident (young and old) knows about. A team of 15 promising engineers and environmentalists from South Plantation Senior High decided to put their solar knowledge to use by harnessing the sun's energy to create a solar-powered vehicle.
After working on their project for three years, the squad sent the Solar Knight II, a 650-pound car, racing down a San Antonio speedway and into first place.
After four days of racing and 395 laps, the car (crafted out of junkyard parts and electrical tape) whipped across the finish line of the National Dell Winston Solar Car Challenge at a speed of 48 miles per hour.
Seventeen-year-old Jason Rosen, one of the co-captains of the team, told our news partners at
The Miami Herald, "It's the burden of the Sunshine State, but we're happy we could do well for Florida.''
Being that it rains in our state all the time, as Jason commented, the Solar Knight II is equipped with a small battery that can keep it moving in case a storm rolls in.
It's taken the team three years to perfect the solar car. The Solar Knight I finished in last place when South Plantation first came to the competition. The defeat only fueled the group of students to figure out ways of shedding 50 pounds from the bulky vehicle.
Another important factor is making sure their lightest team members drive it.
Daniella Saeta, one of the drivers, told
The Miami Herald, "My legs would fall asleep sometimes, but it was also very relaxing. We had a little fan and a music player, but we really didn't use it. We wanted to concentrate on the race.''
The annual competition attracts more than a dozen high school teams from across the United States to race at the Texas Motor Speedway.
All the hard work finally paid off, and the team received a three-tier trophy along with bragging rights for the victory. Most importantly, the students hope their win will open the door to future sponsorships. It cost roughly $30,000 to build the car, which was financed through donations and fundraisers hosted by the students throughout the year.
Jason told the
Herald: "It was unbelievable just to see what we could do… how we could come from being last place at one point, to now building such a successful team.''
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments