A friendly solar car race was held yesterday at a racing park in Beijing's Tongzhou District.

Three solar cars participated from China's Tsinghua University and the United States' University of Missouri-Rolla and Principia College.

The "Solar Miner III" car from the University of Missouri-Rolla drove the 12.5 kilometres in 10 minutes, 42 seconds; Principia College's "Ra IV" completed the race in 11 minutes, 22 seconds; and Tsinghua's "Zhuiri," meaning chasing after the sun, finished in 16 minutes, 13 seconds.

Solar Miner III, equipped with advanced solar absorption materials, cost producers more than US$800,000, though sponsors provided most of the materials, said Wesley Day, a member of the Missouri-Rolla team.

Principia's Ra IV cost a whopping US$1.1 million, said driver Christopher Churchill. The upper portion of the car consisted of hundreds of small solar cells, each one valued at more than US$100. Some cost up to US$500 each.

Lu Jian, coach of Tsinghua's team, said the team finished last because the car's technology and design paled in comparison to its two rivals.

The two rival cars could absorb more than 20 per cent of the solar energy into their electric engines with advanced solar cells on the surfaces while Tsinghua's car could absorb only 14 per cent.

(China Daily 08/10/2002)

（http://news.tsinghua.edu.cn）