TOYOTA UNVEILS NEW SOLAR-POWERED RACE CAR

Toyota City―TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION unveiled the RaRa 10, a high-performance, single-seat, solar-powered car developed specifically for racing. The RaRa 10's carbon-fiber monocoque body reduces weight and minimizes wind resistance, while the layout of the front and rear wheels uses a belt to transfer power from the motor to the rear wheels so as to provide greater running stability.

In 1990, Toyota developed the solar-powered RaRa II to serve as an escort vehicle in marathons and other races. The new RaRa 10 utilizes some of the technologies developed for its predecessor.

The new solar car will participate in events promoting environmental awareness, in addition to a variety of rallies to obtain technical data. The car's first competition is the Solar Car Rally in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture on August 30.

The rally will be cosponsored by Ishikawa, Toyama, and Fukui prefectures and the Institute of Applied Energy.

Toyota has been making vigorous efforts in the research and development of alternative-energy vehicles to help protect the environment and conserve energy.