(PhysOrg.com) -- Plans for a solar-powered racing car which will
cruise at 60mph using the same power as a hairdryer have been
unveiled by students at Cambridge University. The car, codenamed
"Bethany", will be completed this summer and is being touted as
Britain's brightest hope for the World Solar Challenge - a
gruelling 3,000 km race across the Australian Outback. Its power
will come from solar energy captured by a 6m² covering of high-
efficiency silicon cells. Underneath this solar "skin", however,
the car will essentially be an ultra-efficient electric vehicle,
which designers say could provide a model for other forms of
green transportation. "At a time when the automotive industry is
being forced to look at a low-carbon future, our vehicle
demonstrates the enormous potential of energy-efficient electric
vehicle technologies," Anthony Law, manager of the student group
Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER), which is building the
car, said. "Transportation currently accounts for about 35% of
the UK's ener