pioneered by the vehicles over the years have made it into the mainstream . Energy-efficient , `` low-rolling resistance '' tires that are on the market now were used by Michelin in World Solar Challenge events of the early 1990s , and since the inaugural event in 1987 the electric motors have improved in efficiency by at least 30 % , says Selwood . Some of the motors being used by teams have been engineered to work at 98 % efficiency in turning electricity into motor power . `` That could drive a washing machine , ceiling fan or even electric vehicle , '' says Selwood . `` There are many uses for a motor like that in our daily lives across a range of applications . '' For the top teams , though , the aim is to get to Adelaide first and worry about the legacy of the technology later . Nuon Solar Team 's Nuna6 car is one of the favorites to win this year 's competition . As winners of the events from 2001 to 2007 , Nuon Solar Team , made up of students from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands , hope
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Powered by the same energy produced by a toaster , this weekend 39 solar-powered cars are preparing to race across the Australian outback reaching speeds in excess of 100 kilometers per hour -LRB- 62 miles per hour -RRB- along the way . Setting off from Darwin on Saturday , many of the cars taking part in the biennial , 3,021-kilometer -LRB- 1,877-mile -RRB- Veolia World Solar Challenge to Adelaide look more like ping-pong tables on wheels rather than conventional cars . However , the spirit of adventure and quest for more energy efficiency is what drives the teams of volunteers , university students and organizers . `` We think about it in terms of the land-based version of ocean yacht racing , '' says Chris Selwood , the event director . `` Really it 's about how much you can do with how little . We 're looking for the ultimate efficiency in electric cars . '' This year is the 11th race and Selwood is happy to point out that while most of the cars do n't resemble anything else that will be rumbling down the Australian highways this weekend , some of the innovations