Organized biennially by the Federation Internationale de I’ Automobile (FIA), International Solar Car Federation(ISF) and the Motorsport South Africa (MSA), Sasol Solar Challenge has reached its end. Covering challenging distances throughout 8 day-endurance-race, teams officially finished in Cape Town on 1 October, 2016. Representing our country successfully in this challenging international race, NEU-RA 27 crossed the finish line in the 6thposition.
According to the press info released by the Directorate of Press and Public Relation Office of the Near East University, teams hit the road in the administrative capital Pretoria on September 24 in order to reach the finale pit-stop in Cape Town. The race lasted 8 days. Each day teams made their way to the next pit stop. At each pit-stop, teams spent the night there and got a start in the morning. After passing through 10 cities, on the eight day of the race the teams reached the finale pit-stop in Cape Town. Despite the rough weather conditions and challenging roads, the Near East University team left its competitors behind and crossed the finish line in the 6th position. The perseverance of the Near East University team in overcoming the tough challenges and crossing the finish line in the 6th position was commendable.
Compared to the performance that NEU RA25 which crossed the finished line in the 8th position in Sasol Solar Challenge 2014, NEU RA 27, NEU’s second solar car that developed by R&D teams, exhibited a higher performance and crossed the finish line in the 6th position.
Ahmet Çağman: “We have introduced the world with the technology that our teams developed by pushing the boundaries of engineering”
Near East University Innovation and Information Technologies Director Ahmet Çağman delivered information regarding the issue and expressed his views: "As Near East University team, we feel the great honor and pride of waving the flag of TRNC in the world arena. This year, 16 teams competed in Sasol Solar Challenge. We consider it as a success to cross the finish line in the 6th position among these teams. Despite the rough weather conditions, we reached the pit-stops in each city successfully. RA27 covered a distance that was 100 km more than the distance covered by our solar car RA25 in Sasol Solar 2014. This is a very pleasing and gratifying event. It is also a distinguished happiness to introduce the world with innovative products that our R&D teams created by pushing the boundaries of engineering. I would like to take this opportunity and extend my appreciations to all team members for their devoted efforts throughout the competition” said he.
