Solar vehicles in Chile race across world's driest desert
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The Venezuelan team USB Solar competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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The Chilean team Unab competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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The Venezuelan team USB competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Members of the Venezuelan team USB Solar prepare their vehicle for the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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The Chilean team Unab competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Chilean Army pilot Juan Ignacio Alvarez waits next to his solar vehicle before the start of the first stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - in Iquique, some 2000km north of Santiago, on Nov 15, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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The Chilean team Antunekul competes during the first stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - in Iquique, some 2000km north of Santiago, on Nov 15, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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People gather around solar vehicles before the start of the first stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - in Iquique, some 2000km north of Santiago, on Nov 15, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A man takes pictures of the vehicle of the Chilean team Unab, during the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - in Toconao, near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Children look at the vehicle of the Chilean team Solar Mecatronic pass by during the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
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In this photo released by Carrera Solar Atacama 2012, a driver sits in his solar powered car from the team BozzEnergy at the start of the first phase of a race, in Humberstone in the area of Pozo Almonte, Chile on Thursday, Nov 15, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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The Chilean team Antakari competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
The Venezuelan team USB Solar competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
The Chilean team Unab competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
The Venezuelan team USB competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
Members of the Venezuelan team USB Solar prepare their vehicle for the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
The Chilean team Unab competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
Chilean Army pilot Juan Ignacio Alvarez waits next to his solar vehicle before the start of the first stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - in Iquique, some 2000km north of Santiago, on Nov 15, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
The Chilean team Antunekul competes during the first stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - in Iquique, some 2000km north of Santiago, on Nov 15, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
People gather around solar vehicles before the start of the first stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - in Iquique, some 2000km north of Santiago, on Nov 15, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
A man takes pictures of the vehicle of the Chilean team Unab, during the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - in Toconao, near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
Children look at the vehicle of the Chilean team Solar Mecatronic pass by during the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
In this photo released by Carrera Solar Atacama 2012, a driver sits in his solar powered car from the team BozzEnergy at the start of the first phase of a race, in Humberstone in the area of Pozo Almonte, Chile on Thursday, Nov 15, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
The Chilean team Antakari competes in the second stage of the Atacama Solar Challenge - a solar car race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile - near San Pedro de Atacama, some 1500km north of Santiago, on Nov 16, 2012. Fifteen teams from four countries are participating in the three-day, 1300km-race. -- PHOTO: AFP
CALAMA, Chile (AFP) - Fifteen solar panel vehicles, some that look like small space ships, raced across Chile's Atacama desert Friday as part of a contest to build low-cost environmentally-friendly cars.
Teams from countries like Argentina, Chile, India and Venezuela have crafted aerodynamic racers to speed across 1,300km of the world's driest desert in the second edition of the Atacama Solar Challenge.
The race, which began Thursday, Nov 15, and ends Monday, Nov 19, pits teams from universities that build their cars on a tight budget in the slog across northern Chile.
Some of the vehicles are powered exclusively by the sun's rays, while others are solar- and pedal-powered hybrids.
