by Dieter Loibner
Special to Solar Oregon

World-record breaking solar car stops in Portland

On January 15, it was Portland’s turn as a stop for The Power of One (Xof1), the car that left Toronto, Ont., on June 12, 2008 to break the world distance record for solar vehicles, which stood at 9,364 miles. That mark was surpassed on October 31, 2008, but Xof1 and its visionary driver, Marcelo da Luz, kept going and going and going. Just like the you-know-who. A few days ago, on their way down from Victoria, B.C. they logged their 10,000^th mile but have their sights set on points further south. That’s because “Power of One” is not just a solar car, but also a private non-profit venture, synonymous for the domino effect that can be created by an individual who inspires others to make positive change happen.

“Build a dream and inspire others to do the same for the benefit of mankind and the environment.”

With a scant 48 hours of notice, Solar Oregon and the Eco Trust pooled resources to put on an impromptu event that attracted a crowd of approximately 100 solar fans, who flocked to the Eco Trust building downtown Portland where the futuristic-looking Xof1 vehicle waited for them in the lobby. Da Luz, the driver, mechanic, initiator and spokesperson in personal union, was on hand to answer questions and to hold a slide show that entertained, educated and solicited support from donors who can contribute online, so he may continue his mission. With big corporate sponsors watching from the sidelines, he needs cash, volunteers to drive the support van, places to stay, and solar mavens along his route who help him show off his car and get out the message. Now that he owns the distance record, this is rapidly becoming the new focus. “Build a dream and inspire others to do the same for the benefit of mankind and the environment.”

It is in stark contrast to the messages he got as a youngster. “’Pollution is the price of progress,’ I once was told by a teacher,” said da Luz, who was born in Brazil, but lives in Toronto, Ont. But that implied that technology has to be dirty. Instead, he wanted to prove that there are sustainable ways to get around. His answer was a car that has legs and runs purely on clean, quiet and renewable solar power. After all, “we don’t own the planet, we only borrow it.”

A long but worthwhile journey

Da Luz has been intrigued by solar cars since 1987 when he started following the World Solar Challenge. Originally, it was his goal to compete in this 1,870-mile race across Australia, but as time wore on, plans changed and he wanted to go for the all-out distance record. His project started in 1999 and turned into a quest of patience and persistence. He mortgaged his house, he got the boot from his girlfriend and he polished a lot of doorknobs of potential sponsors. Out of 1,300 companies he contacted, 65 supported his project. A lesser guy might have thrown in the towel, but da Luz was committed to pull it off. And he wanted to share what he’d learned. His philosophy to discuss key technical information promotes the exchange of know-how to help speed up the development of electric cars. To those who can remember, that’s like déjà vu all over again, because back in the 1980s and 1990s, car companies like GM and Honda developed solar vehicles that won the World Solar Challenge. Technology trickled down to electric-car production, which regrettably was halted and hybrids, which are now all the rage.

Even though he doesn’t compete in a race, and he doesn’t have a Pentagon budget, da Luz came up with a vehicle that’s nothing short of remarkable. Xof1 is built in composite technology that uses polyurethane foam, fiberglass and carbon fiber for the chassis and light foam and fiberglass for the shell. The car runs on three wheels (to reduce resistance). It is 16 feet long, 6 feet wide, 3 feet high and has a ground clearance of 1 foot and 4 inches. It weighs 470 pounds (without driver). The upper shell is covered front-to-back with 893 mono-crystalline solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity and boast about 15 percent of efficiency. The total cell surface amounts to 77 square feet. Maximum output is approximately 900 Watts, less than what a toaster would use. The 96-volt battery system consists of 26 lithium-polymer battery cells that total close to 4 Kwh at. More specs

Traveling on sun time

“The project provides an opportunity to make a positive contribution towards a cleaner future and promote new ideas,” says his Web site. And in doing so, he sought out the most difficult challenge he could find: Drive a solar car where none has gone before, north beyond the Arctic Circle, where the skies are gray, the roads are bad and the continental divide looms large. No obstacle was too big to overcome. Fog, rain, darkness, potholes, wandering wildlife and obstinate bureaucracies (that denied Xof1 the right to drive on public roads) couldn’t stop him. He and his trusty car even survived a crash with minor dings and charmed cops who pulled them over, because someone called 9-1-1, mistaking Xof1 for the harbinger of an alien invasion.

Try as one might, it is impossible to drive a solar car to schedule, because the weather in northern latitudes sometimes has other plans. Lay days on overcast days or stopping to recharge the batteries before tackling a steep, long hill are par for the course when you travel on solar time. However, these pit stops presented opportunities to show the car and educate others about solar technology. And way out in the wilderness, where a car passes only every few hours, da Luz and his troop of volunteers could use such pit stops for an impromptu game of street soccer. Unless, of course, a nosy wolf sniffed around camp or hungry bears broke through the underbrush to see if solar might be a suitable snack.

285 miles on sun power

Curious beasts and a world distance record aside, over the course of this voyage da Luz and Xof1 racked up other impressive accomplishments. They clocked a top speed of ca. 75 miles per hour and logged up to 285 miles on one charge. All without emitting one ounce of carbon dioxide. The biggest drawback? “Solar cars are not exactly chick magnets,” he joked and queued up a video that was recorded by the on-board camera. It showed a woman and her spouse approaching the parked vehicle to snap a picture, unaware that the driver was still inside, hidden behind the mirrored visor. As soon as da Luz inched the car toward her, she ran off in horror.

But mostly da Luz and Xof1 enjoyed a warm welcome. Not just in Portland, but wherever they went. They are especially popular with students when they manage to stop at a school. So what’s next? He plans to continue to Salem, where he hopes to meet with Governor Ted Kulongoski, then to Corvallis, Eugene and across the border to California. “It all depends on financial support, but I want to go as far as I can,” he candidly told Solar Oregon. All the way down to Los Angles, if possible. “Wouldn’t it be fun if I used my solar car to charge the battery of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hummer?” he laughed. Yes, wouldn’t that be fun indeed?



>> See more photos of Xof1's visit to Portland (all photos courtesy of Dieter Loibner)

Solar Oregon gives special thanks to Dieter Loibner for authoring this story.