1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: Onto something much brighter and much more exciting, and scrutineering 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: has begun for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, which is 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: going to get underway in Darwen this weekend. Teams must 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: pass scrutineering to take their place at the start and 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: we know it's going to be a huge weekend. Joining 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: me on the show right now to tell us more 7 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: about it all is the World Solar Challenge event director 8 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: Chris Sellwood get a Chris. 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 2: Good, sorry to hear about the fives on the barker. 10 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 2: Were worried about fives on the still. 11 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, this is it going to have any kind 12 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: of impact for you guys? 13 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 2: Well, if it does, if the road get code and 14 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 2: that has happened in the past and the barker has 15 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 2: been coded, I think we've got one team the wrong 16 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 2: side of that out either way who can't get through, 17 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 2: and they might might not be able to take part. 18 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,319 Speaker 1: Oh, that is a real shame. I hope that they 19 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: are still able to get here, if they still got 20 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: a bit of time. 21 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 2: Chris, Oh, they have for fears that we want to 22 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 2: help people. They spent the last you know, with the COVID, 23 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 2: they spent four years on their project now and they've 24 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 2: traveled around from around the world and it will be 25 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,199 Speaker 2: so sad if they missed out. We've got some people 26 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: who are late. They've been shipping delays and still driving 27 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 2: up from down south for across from across from the east, 28 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 2: and as I say, I understand one truck is touched 29 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 2: on the Berkley because of the fire and is unlikely 30 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 2: to get it. 31 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: That is a shame. But I love the fact that 32 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: you guys are all of that view that you know, 33 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: you do your best to try and make sure that 34 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: people can still take part. It's that real can do attitude. 35 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and we're even you know, if we can get 36 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 2: them through the different processes for their road worthiness, we'll 37 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: get them on the roads and they might not be 38 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 2: fully compliant to be competitive, but at least they'll get 39 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 2: their adventure. 40 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: Absolutely. How are things going behind the scenes in terms 41 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: of you know, it all kicking off over the weekend. 42 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: Yes, it's all coming together and we're looking forward to 43 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 2: being on the start line on the steps of Parliament 44 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 2: House early on Sunday morning. You'll be coffee and burgers 45 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 2: there and both the egg rolls and at eight o'clock 46 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 2: the Chief Minister will wave off the flag for the 47 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 2: first one and we'll see how many we've got there, 48 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 2: but it will certainly be in the mid twenties, if 49 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 2: not more, of international teams. He'll take to the road 50 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: on Sunday. 51 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: Now, talk me through the scrutineering it's begun, and how 52 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: are all of those different vehicles looking. 53 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 2: Some of them looking extremely well. And a newcomer from 54 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 2: Estonia was the first yesterday afternoon to clear all scrutineering stations. 55 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 2: And there's a few now that have done that. And 56 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 2: we look at my chart one to each in court, 57 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 2: there's ten or eleven teams who completed all their static 58 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 2: tests and that's all about regulatory compliance on things like 59 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 2: their signage, their overall measurement, the occupants, whether they can 60 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 2: get in and out, whether it's enough space for them, 61 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 2: the ballast because everybody has to weigh eighty kilos, which 62 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:25,399 Speaker 2: isn't a problem for me. They're lighting mechanical electric, electrical 63 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 2: energy storage, their support vehicles and everything's weighed and tagged. 64 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 2: They're all the stations they have to go through to 65 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: get signed off. And then on Saturday, and this is 66 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: the possibly exciting piece for local people that we've got 67 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 2: Saturday morning, we've got dynamic scrutineering, and that's when they 68 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: do their track work and the public are very welcome 69 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 2: to come down to the valley free of charge to 70 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: see the sailor cars out on the track. They'll be 71 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 2: doing their flying lap, they'll be doing their slalom tests 72 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: and their breaking tests with the Department of Transport and 73 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 2: hopefully having passed everything, we've got to pop up envy 74 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 2: our office so that they can go kick the tin 75 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 2: and take some dollars to the non territory government and 76 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 2: get their license plate. 77 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: That is great, Chris, paint a bit of a picture 78 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: for us. What do these vehicles look like and how 79 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 1: fast can they go? 80 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 2: Well that certainly the top teams will be sitting on 81 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: the speed limit for much of the day and whatever 82 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 2: that speed limit is, even if it's one hundred and 83 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 2: thirty further south, they can do that. But it's about 84 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 2: energy management. They may choose not to do that because 85 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: they're predicting whether there's clouds or different weather patterns. Will 86 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 2: be very carefully measuring their solar radiation profiles from the 87 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 2: satellites to see that we have now that will tell 88 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 2: them what they're opportunities are, and we don't regulate the 89 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 2: shape of the car, so there are many different shapes, 90 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: particularly as there is two main classes. There's the Challenger class, 91 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 2: which the world's ultimate energy efficient electric cars. Who would 92 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 2: do One of our scientists worked out the other day 93 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 2: that they could do five hundred kilometers on the same 94 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 2: energy as a road train passing a single point there go, 95 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 2: So the kinetic energy of the roadtrain measured at a 96 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 2: single point is enough energy to run one of these 97 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 2: cars for five hundred silometers. Wow, that is incredible, fascinating statistic. 98 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 2: It really is Cruiser class. The Cruiser class which is 99 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: supposed to draw the link between what the Challenger class 100 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 2: purely experimental vehicles are doing with personal mobility, and the 101 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 2: Cruiser class are supposed to be practical electric cars, and 102 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 2: some of those are looking pretty schmick. I have to 103 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 2: say the desirability factor is one of the determinants of success, 104 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 2: and that, of course is what an industrial designer is 105 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 2: faced with every Monday morning when they sit at their workstation. 106 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 2: How can I make my products stand out from the competition. 107 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: It is just unbelievable. I mean, when you talk about 108 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: the technology and what you were just saying there, it 109 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 1: is unbelievable stuff. What's it like inside those vehicles? Does 110 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: it get hotter or is it pretty comfortable? They How 111 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: do the drivers sort of cope? 112 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 2: Well, certainly the Challenger class cars are not built for 113 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 2: comfort by any stretch of the imagination, but there are 114 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 2: minimum standards for ventilation. We don't want anybody suffering from 115 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: their and to exhaust from breeding for a couple of hours. 116 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 2: And it may have been particularly hot last time we ran, 117 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 2: and the first first control stop is in Catherine, down 118 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 2: at the way Bridge on the southern side of town, 119 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 2: and some of the little Japanese, smaller Japanese people were saying, oh, 120 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 2: it's too hot. And I think there was some suggestion 121 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 2: afterwards that there was some playing up to the cameras. 122 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 2: But it's fascinating stuff. And not to mitigate some of 123 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 2: that fatigue management, we've forced a driver change on the 124 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 2: first leg out of this. 125 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: Time, all right, So you've got a few measures in 126 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: place just to make sure that everybody does stay comfortable 127 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: and doesn't get too warm. I just think it's incredible, like, honestly, 128 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: the feat to be able to get one of these 129 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: vehicles on the road, but then to put together this 130 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: whole event. It is amazing stuff. And as you said earlier, 131 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: some of these different teams, all of the teams have 132 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: been waiting for quite some time to be able to 133 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: get back out there and race. 134 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 2: Absolutely they have and the enthusiasm and the passion is tangible, 135 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 2: and it's fantastic to be so many cultures, so many 136 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 2: nationalities coming up to coming up to Darwin, and I 137 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 2: know people who have seen them around them around the 138 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 2: place and in restaurants and bars and clubs and out 139 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 2: running on the esplanade, all sorts of things. The places 140 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: alive with it. 141 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: So, Chris tell Us, is Saturday going to be the 142 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: best time to be able to get a view of 143 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: these vehicles in action at Hidden Valley? 144 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: Saturday's the time to see them in action because they'll 145 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: be doing track work. And that's probably from I would 146 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 2: say eight till twelve on Saturday morning. We've got a 147 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 2: big party tonight thanks to our sponsored Bridgetone, who will 148 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 2: throw a party for all the volune Is and all 149 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 2: the participants down at Hidden Valley. Be over a thousand 150 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 2: people there. That's pretty special. And we're still scrutineering here 151 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 2: at the beautiful dough and Convention Center in all three 152 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 2: and four, and there's a viewing gallery, so if anybody 153 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 2: is interested in coming down to the waterfront and they 154 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:27,439 Speaker 2: can pop in and watch what's watch what's going on? 155 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 2: I won't say action, there's not a lot of it. 156 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 2: There's not a lot of real action, but there's a 157 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 2: lot of scientists poking and prodding and nodding and stroking 158 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 2: their chins and looking at documentation to make sure these 159 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 2: things are compliant with our regulations and the standards expected 160 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 2: to vehicles on the public highway. 161 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: Oh, incredible stuff. Well, Chris Ellwood, the World Solar Challenge 162 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: event director, always appreciate your time, all the very best. 163 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:59,080 Speaker 2: Thank you very much. Indeed, thanks your interest, and we'll 164 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 2: make sure we tuned into the right stations. 165 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 1: Good stuff, Good on you. Thanks so much, Chris. Lovely 166 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: to speak to you this morning.