With Aurora having just returned from Greece after competing in the pre-Olympics Phaethon 2004, followed by competition in Japan's typhoon-affected Dream Cup at Suzuka, and amidst preparations for the Bibendum Challenge in Shanghai next month, the competitive world of solar cars is undergoing its own shake up.

Australia's solar car team and holder of eight world records, Aurora, is under challenge from Canada's University of Waterloo Midnight Sun VII team who are attempting a 19,000 kms drive across Canada and the US in 40 days. Currently on Day 11, with 4,082 kms on the road, the Midnight Sun team is averaging less than 400 kms a day.

Melbourne's Aurora team holds the world record for the longest journey under solar power, having circumnavigated Australia in 2002 in 24 days, covering 13,054 kms at an average of 544 kms per day. During that epic trip, Aurora set two other world records: a new day distance record of 780 km - achieved using solar energy alone from Nullabor to Port Augusta; and an average of 111.24 km/h over 100 km on-road between Broome and Port Hedland, breaking the previous record held by Northern Territory University of 108.78 kph.

Australia has a long history in solar car achievements, having pioneered long distance journeys in 1982, when Hans Tholstrup and Larry Perkins made the celebrated 20 day trip from Perth to Sydney in Quiet Achiever, at an average speed of just 23 km/h. In 1985, 16 Year 12 students and 4 teachers from Warragul Tech in Gippsland, Victoria built their Solar Seeker solar vehicle and travelled 3,500 kms - from Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria to Melbourne - over 3 weeks, averaging 22 km/h. Despite frequent attempts by other teams to break the Perth-Sydney record, Dick Smith and the Aurora Q1 team's journey time of 8 and a half days, set in 1994 remains steadfast.

Other international solar car activity presently underway includes an 8 day tour of Sweden and Norway by the 2003 World Solar Challenge Champions, Nuna II - built and driven by students from Delft University in The Netherlands, with leading edge technology support from Europe's space and satellite system programs.

Melbourne-based Aurora 101 will face Nuna II again at the 2005 World Solar Challenge, set to begin in Darwin on 25 September. The 2003 event saw Nuna II smash Aurora's fastest solar car race record of 94.5 km/h, creating a new event record of 97.02 km/h.

For progress on University of Waterloo's long distance journey challenge, visit - www.midsun.uwaterloo.ca/tour