Press Release Sidney
The Solar taxi comes to Sydney. The first time in history that a car is driving around the world with the power of the sun.
Swiss Adventurer Louis Palmer started his trip around the world in his solar powered vehicle, the “Solartaxi”, on the occasion of the European Sustainable Energy Forum in Lucerne, Switzerland, on July 3, 2007. On ...., 2008 will start his journey across Australia, arriving in Sydney from Christchurch.
Louis Palmer travelled overland from the heart of Switzerland via 18 countries to the Middle East and India, from where he took a ship to his next destinations India and Indonesia – to reach Bali in time for the Climate Change Conference in early December, where the Solar taxi became a major attraction at the gates of the summit, where it served to give an emission-free lift to, amongst others, Peter Garrett, Australia’s new Minister for the Environment, Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the Nobel Prize winning IPCC, and Bianca Jagger, President of the World Future Council, and Michael Blooomberg, City Major of New York.
In Bali, he met Mike Fincken, Captain of the “Rainbow Warrior II”, who was so enthusiastic about the idea of touring the world emission free that he spontaneously invited the Solar taxi to find a temporary home on board of the Greenpeace ship – which was bound for Whangarei, New Zealand.
Now the solartaxi is going to arrive by boat, coming from Christchurch, on January 29, 2007. On his return to Switzerland, Mr. Palmer will have travelled through 5 continents, more than 40 countries and over 40,000 km – and will have shared the two-seater cabin with ministers, hoboes, journalists, backpackers, and a Jordanian prince.
It took 3 years to build the solartaxi. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and three Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences have been involved in its making, integrating top-notch technologies – and a flexible steering-wheel that allows the passenger to take control of the vehicle running at a maximum speed of 90 kph the sustainable way.
The car pulls a trailer equipped with high-efficiency solar panels from his main sponsor Q-Cells which generate roughly 50% of the electricity needed to run the car. The other half is generated through solar panels on top of the headquarters of sponsor Swisscom and reaches the solartaxi through the grid – symbolized by the fact that the solar taxi recharges its batteries at Swiss embassies, whenever possible. The grid works like a bank, from where Palmer can withdraw his earlier deposits when travelling by night or on a cloudy day.
High resolution pictures can be downloaded from http://www.solartaxi.com/press/presskit/
Mission Statement by Louis Palmer
“On 3 July 2007 I set off on my first journey around the world with a solar powered vehicle. Admittedly, as a regular citizen I cannot change the world but I can demonstrate to the world just how dire the global climate situation has become and how many sophisticated solutions to lower the greenhouse gases already exist, which bring with them many other advantages. So that we can have a better world and a more secure future. The solar taxi should rekindle hope and a zest for life, set an example to counteract resignation and stimulate reflection. And show that every single one of us can take a step towards preserving our planet.”
Louis Palmer
Louis Palmer, born in Budapest, moved to Switzerland when he was only 16 months old. After his teacher training, he went travelling, always on the move to new horizons: He crossed Africa by bike and the United States and South America by ultra-light airplane. The Solar taxi is his latest project.