SONOMA, Calif., Aug. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic
Corporation of North America has
announced their support for student teams in the
Darwin-to-Adelaide,
3,021-kilometer 2011 World Solar Challenge in Australia this October. Panasonic is
providing the latest Lithium Ion battery technologies for use with
solar-powered vehicles engineered by undergraduate teams from the
University of California at Berkeley
and Stanford University in the seven
day drive through the Australian Outback.
Yesterday's announcement came at Infineon Raceway's first
Accelerating Sustainable Performance Summit, a day-long forum for
innovators and thought-leaders to explore prospects for sustainable
automotive development and performance-oriented marketing of green
cars. Peter Fannon, Vice President, Technology Policy,
Panasonic Corporation of North
America was on hand to wish the two teams the best of luck
in proving their innovative solar car designs in the grueling
Australian Outback environment.
"These teams are truly proving the power of nature's most
ubiquitous fuel, the sun, and helping advance the time when sun
power can be a routine part of transportation, and more in our
daily lives," said Mr. Fannon. "Panasonic is pleased to be
part of realizing this vision."
In addition to the Lithium Ion batteries that will power the
vehicles, Panasonic will also equip the two teams with ruggedized
LUMIX digital cameras and Full HD camcorders to enable them to
record their performance in the 1,877 mile vehicle endurance
test.
Although the cars competing in the World Solar Challenge are
powered by solar energy, the sun's rays are converted to
electricity, which must be stored when not used immediately.
This excess energy is stored in high-efficiency Lithium Ion
batteries and is then used to power the vehicles when solar power
is not feasible, for example, when it is cloudy or at night.
Panasonic's Lithium Ion batteries have earned a reputation for
being well-suited to the needs of non-carbon-fueled vehicles, and
have become the preferred Lithium Ion battery cell supplier to
Tesla Motors premium electric vehicles. Featuring the
industry's highest level of energy density, Panasonic's Lithium Ion
batteries are light-weight, high-capacity and long-lasting, making
them a favored choice among many of World Solar Challenge's top
contenders.
In addition to the two Bay Area
solar teams, this year Osaka,
Japan-based Panasonic Corporation is also providing the same
powerful Lithium Ion batteries to student teams at the University of Michigan for its entry in the 2011
World Solar Challenge, as well as two teams in Delft University of
Technology and the University of Twente
in the Netherlands, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Tokai
University in Japan.
A prestigious event that attracts the world's best technical
universities and colleges, the World Solar Challenge aims to help
discover new automotive technologies that rely on the power of the
sun by engaging student teams to develop electric vehicles for a
week-long race across the Australian Outback. Currently in
its 11th year, the 2011 event will host teams from all over the
world to participate in the 3,021-kilometer journey.
Dedicated to the goal of becoming the number one green business
innovation leader in the electronics industry by 2018, Panasonic
pledges to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural
resources and protect our environment through the company's Eco
Ideas programs.
About Panasonic Corporation of North America
Based in Secaucus, NJ,
Panasonic Corporation of North
America provides a broad line of digital and other
electronics products for consumer, business and industrial use. The
company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation
(NYSE: PC), and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. branding, marketing,
sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic ranked
number 10 on Interbrand's Best GlobalGreen Brands 2011 survey. As
part of its continuing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint,
Panasonic Corporation of North
America will relocate its operations to a new eco-efficient
office tower adjacent to a mass transit hub in Newark, NJ in 2013. Information about
Panasonic Eco Ideas initiatives is available at
http://panasonic.net/eco/ecoideas/. Information about
Panasonic and its products is available at www.panasonic.com.
Additional company information for journalists is also available at
www.panasonic.com/pressroom.
SOURCE Panasonic