College of Engineering News

UC Davis College of Engineering Hosts Solartaxi

Posted on: July 22, 2008

Louis Palmer, a teacher from Lucerne, Switzerland, made a stop in Davis during his attempt to be the first person to drive a solar-powered vehicle around the world. The UC Davis College of Engineering hosted the Solartaxi's visit to Davis as the car makes its way through California, providing the team with a shop for repairs and a garage to house the vehicle. Interim Associate Dean Bruce Hartsough, who hosted the team members at his residence for two nights, provided all the comforts of home.

The event was not without complications - traffic on the freeway kept the vehicle two hours behind schedule, and five minutes after entering Davis, the Solartaxi experienced both a flat tire and a broken trailer hitch. UC Davis engineers rose to the challenge, though. A late night and afternoon of emergency repairs conducted by Tom Bell, Mike Banducci and Victor Duraj in the Biological & Agricultural Engineering Shop kept the Solartaxi on schedule, and allowed them to display the vehicle at the Farmer's Market in Davis and the Second Saturday celebrations in Sacramento.

"The Solartaxi team members are a great group of guys," Bell said. "Mike Banducci and I were glad that we were able to repair their trailer and keep them on schedule. The whole world seems to be supporting these guys and we were happy to be a part of it."

On display at the Davis Farmer's Market, the Solartaxi attracted a flurry of news media and curious residents. Deriving 100% of its power from the sun, the vehicle's purpose is simple, as is Palmer's motivation: to spread the word about the viability of solar power and generate awareness of the benefits and possibilities it holds. Palmer certainly did that in Davis, speaking with many community members as well as several television news stations and newspapers.

Additional information:

• www.solartaxi.com