TECSTAR Joins US Solar Motions Team

TECSTAR (City of Industry, CA) has joined the US Solar Motions team, which is preparing for its entry in the 1999 Australian Solar Challenge international auto race. TECSTAR will be supplying its triple junction Cascade solar cells to power the solar car, called the Cascade Cruiser. The cells represent up to a maximum 26 percent efficiency. The 9-day race covers more than 3010km (2,000 mi.) between Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south. It has been held every three years since 1987 when the GM Sunraycer won with an average speed of 67km/h. TECSTAR also supplied the GM car with its Ga-As cells.Leading the Solar Motions team is Space Systems/Loral engineer Martin Koebler, who said, "Our primary goal in entering the Australian Solar Challenge is to help promote technology for alternate energy and the engineering studies needed to build more environmentally friendly vehicles."