LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- If , by some extraordinary feat of filmic conjuring , you somehow spliced Death Race 2000 , Back to the Future and Priscilla : Queen of the Desert , editing out the violence , time travel and transvestism , but keeping in the racing , futuristic cars and Australian scenery , you 'd probably end up with something vaguely resembling the Panasonic World Solar Challenge . Now celebrating its 20th anniversary , the Challenge is the world 's premier long-distance race for solar-powered vehicles , with competitors traveling 3000 kms along the Stuart Highway from Darwin in the far north of Australia to Adelaide in the south in cars powered solely by sunlight . In the process they not only pass through some of the most spectacular and inhospitable terrain on earth -- temperatures in the Australian outback can exceed 50 degrees Centigrade -- but also send out a strong environmental message , pushing forward the boundaries of green technology and promoting the benefits of solar power as an alternative energy source . The fact that the race is also , in the words of one competitor , `` a bloody good laugh , '' only adds to its appeal . `` It 's a great adventure , '' the race director Chris Selwood told CNN , `` One that allows the bright young people of the globe to come up with creative solutions to the problem of sustainable transport , while at the same time to drawing attention to the importance of lightening the environmental footprint of our personal transport needs . '' First run in 1987 , the race was the brainchild of Danish adventurer and environmental campaigner Hans Thostrup , who in 1982 designed and built `` Quiet Achiever , '' the world 's first ever solar-powered car . The inaugural competition featured 23 teams , with the winning vehicle -- the General Motors-sponsored Sunraycer -- completing the distance at an average speed of 67 kilometers per hour ( 42 miles per hour ) . Things have moved on somewhat since then . Thostrup sold the rights to the race to the South Australian Government in 1996 , and what was initially a triennial event -- i.e . held every three years -- went biennial ( every two years ) in 1999 . The average speed has shot up to 103 kph ( 64 mph ) -- in the 2005 race the winning car achieved a top speed of 147 kph ( 91 mph ) -- while the competition has expanded to incorporate several different classes of vehicle : the Challenge and Adventure Classes for exclusively solar cars , and the Greenfleet Technology Class for other types of environmentally friendly , low-emission vehicles . This year 's race , which left Darwin on October 21 , features teams from 18 countries , including entrants from as far afield as Venezuela , Senegal , Malaysia and Japan . See photos of this year 's cars » . There are 47 cars in all , 37 of them solar-powered -- 20 in the Challenge Class ( maximum 6 square meters of solar panels ) and 17 in the Adventure Class ( eight square meters of panels ) -- and 10 Greenfleet Competitors . `` It 's not so much about how fast you can go , '' explains Selwood , `` But rather how far you can go on limited energy . `` Unlike traditional motor racing the focus is on the cars themselves rather than the people who actually drive them . '' It is very much a young person 's adventure -- the majority of entrants represent schools and universities , with an average age in the early 20s -- although participation would be impossible without grants and corporate sponsorship . `` There 's a $ 3000AUD ( $ 2697 ) entry fee , '' explains Selwood , `` And for a team of eight people it would typically cost about $ 30,000 AUD ( $ 26,965 ) to mount their campaign once they 've actually got to Australia . `` On top of that you 've actually got to design and build the car , which could cost anything from $ 50,000 AUD ( $ 44,944 ) to $ 2.5 million AUD ( $ 2.25 million ) . '' In 2001 , 2003 and 2005 the Challenge Class -- the competition 's Blue Riband event -- was won by Nuon a team from the University of Delft in the Netherlands , and it is they who are currently leading this year 's event . `` We 've had eleven people working full time on the car since December 2006 , '' says Nuon 's Tine Lavrysen , `` So we dearly want to win . `` There 's a lot of pressure on us . '' The race itself is lasts eight days , although faster competitors such as Nuon are expected to reach Adelaide in closer to five . The cars set off each morning at 8 am , and drive until 5 pm , when they stop and camp at whatever point they have reached that day . `` Last time an all-girls school team camped by the road near the ranch of one of the richest men in Australia , who shall remain nameless , '' says Selwood . `` When he found out they were there he invited them all up to his mansion for dinner . That 's the sort of thing that happens . '' Each team carries an official observer with them , is allowed up to four drivers per vehicle , and is required to travel with a safety car both in front and behind to warn other traffic of their presence , although for much of the Stuart Highway there is little other traffic to warn . `` It 's difficult to grasp the remoteness , '' says Selwood . `` Especially in the Northern Territories . It 's just a straight road with the occasional road-house ( rest stop ) and road-train ( giant lorry ) , but very little else . `` Except , of course , the wonderful Australian scenery . '' Since 1987 the original aim of the competition -- simply to design and build a solar-powered car that could cross Australia -- has had to be modified and adapted as technology has become increasingly sophisticated . `` The original challenge of creating a solar car that could cross the continent has been well and truly met , '' says Selwood . `` This year we have sought to re-establish the challenge and make things a little bit more difficult . We have introduced different classes of car , cut back the number of solar arrays that are allowed , and introduced other rules such as the driver having to sit upright in a normal driving position , and having to get in and out of the car unaided . `` It 's all designed to get the teams thinking , see how far they can push the technology . That 's what the competition is all about , giving kids an opportunity to be creative . '' While the fruits of that creativity may not look especially car-like -- with their arrays of solar panels most of the entries resemble nothing so much as giant silicon chips on wheels -- they are nonetheless driving forward , quite literally , a quiet revolution in energy efficiency . `` A normal petrol engine is about 25 percent efficient in terms of energy use , '' explains Tine Lavrysen . `` Even the best ones are only about 50-60 percent efficient . The motor on our solar car , on the other hand , is 95 percent efficient . '' Although competition for the cherished World Solar Cup is fierce , it is the technological challenge posed by the event that really motivates the teams . `` In university you get to design a lot of things , but only on paper , '' says Lavrysen , who is studying industrial design engineering . `` Here you can actually build something and run it , which teaches you an awful lot . '' There 's also the sheer enjoyment of taking part . `` It 's an extremely fun , friendly competition , '' says Lavrysen . `` Everyone gets on with everyone else , and helps out if anyone has problems . `` Although the Umicore team from Belgium are our main rivals at the moment , we had a barbecue with them last night , and lent them a drill when they had a problem with their steering column . `` It 's all very good natured . Although we 'll still be upset if we do n't win . '' ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . Could solar cars replace petrol vehicles ? What 's the future for transport ? Share your thoughts and read others ' views in the Just Imagine forum .
The Panasonic World Solar Challenge is currently crossing Belgium . Race involves cars powered exclusively by solar energy . 18 teams from 47 countries cover up to 147 kilometers per hour in 8 days . Solar-powered cars reach speeds of 3000 kms .