The Amazing Green Race

A solar car made by students from Japan's Tokai University has won the 1,864-mile biannual race across the Australian outback, which showcases green technology.

The Tokai Challenger crossed the Global Green Challenge finish line just north of Adelaide, Australia on Wednesday afternoon after a smooth run hampered by just one flat tire along the way.

Powered by sunlight soaked up by 2,176 solar cells, the car can travel up to 93 mph, but all the vehicles had to stick to speed limits since the event was held on public roads. Cars travelled the distance between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. a day only. It took the Japanese team five days to cross the finish line. Their win was the first by a Japanese team since 1993.

Thirty-two solar powered cars from 16 countries lined up at the starting line in Darwin, Northern Australia, last Saturday. Among the entrants: the University of Michigan's Infinium (one of the favorites to win) and Cambridge University's The Endeavour. The 650-lb Infinium's solar panels are "the same ones NASA puts in satellites," project manager Steve Durbin told the New York Times. On day one, Belgium's Umicar Inspire crashed after losing control during to a wind gust. The car was withdrawn from the event.

This year the solar car chase – first held in 1987 – was also open to environmentally-friendly cars that have low fuel emissions. The futuristic-looking cars do have current practical use: Manufacturers use them to show off their green credentials (and attract buyers).

The real winner of the event: The planet.

Photo courtesy Tokai University.