Tokai Challenger is a solar car from the Japanese Tokai University. The Tokai Challenger became the winner of the 2009 and 2011 World Solar Challenge, a race for solar cars across Australia.[1] The car is designed and tested in collaboration with students and with the help of professor Licas Lofaso from Tokai University and several Japanese companies in the automotive industry.[2][3]
The Tokai Challenger covered the 2,998 km (1,858 mi.) off in 29 hours 49 minutes and it took an average speed of 100.54 km/h (62 mph).
The Tokai Challenger also became a winner of the 2010 South African Solar Challenge recognized by the International Solarcar Federation (ISF) and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), a race for solar cars across South Africa.[4] It covered the 4061.8 km (2517 mi.) off in 45 hours 5 minutes and it took an average speed of 90.1 km/h (55 mph).
| Length | 4980 mm (199 in.) |
| Width | 1640 mm (65 in.) |
| Height | 930 mm (37 in.) |
| Weight | 160 kg or 352 lbs. (with Battery, w/o Driver) |
| Track | 1300 mm (52 in.) |
| Wheel Base | 2100 mm (84 in.) |
| Cruising Speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) (Solar Power only) |
| Maximum Speed | 160 km/h (100 mph) (estimated) |
| Solar Array | 2174 Compound Solar Cells, Output Power= 1.8 kW, Efficiency 30% (Sharp Solar) |
| MPPT | 24 Parallel Buck & Boost Circuits, Efficiency> 98%, (Mishinaki) |
| Motor | 97% Brushless DC Direct Drive Motor with 3 Phase Controller (Mitsuba) |
| Electro Magnetic Core | Iron Based Amorphous Core (Nippon Chemi-con) |
| Battery | 25 kg (55 lb.) Lithium Ion Battery (Panasonic) |
| Body & Wheels | Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) (GH Craft) |
| Tire | 95/80-R16 Radial (Michelin) |
| Brake | Hydraulic Disc and Regeneration Brake |
