As part of its environmental program, Aviva Australia is sponsoring the Aviva Southern Aurora vehicle and team to compete in the iconic 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge from 21-28 October which traverses 3,000km from Darwin to Adelaide.
Question: What travels at 75 km/h on less electricity than generated by a toaster, uses solar cells manufactured for the NASA Hubble telescope project and emits zero carbon dioxide?
Answer: the Aviva Solar Car.
As part of its environmental program, Aviva Australia is sponsoring the Aviva Southern Aurora vehicle and team to compete in the iconic 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge from 21-28 October which traverses 3,000km from Darwin to Adelaide.
"The power from our solar array is about that of a toaster - we can travel at 75km/h on the energy you used to cook your toast this morning," said Steve Martinich, manager of the Avivasolarcar team.
According to Tim Cobb, general manager marketing and public relations for Aviva Australia, the partnership with the Southern Aurora Vehicle Association is a very valuable one for both parties.
"As a future-focused company and the first global insurer to carbon neutralise its operations worldwide, our sponsorship of the Aviva Solar Car is a rewarding one - we have followed the vehicle's recent road trials with great interest and with less than 20 days until the start of the race, we are very much looking forward to tracking the vehicle's progress."
Recently, Aviva plc was honoured with the highest rating possible, AAA, for its approach to climate change disclosure in a report released by the Carbon Disclosure Project, a coalition of 315 global investors that has more than A$41 trillion in assets.
Mr Martinich says the team of 13 members is a dedicated group of regional Victorians from diverse backgrounds, which is being supported by Aviva Australia.
"Team members hail from Hamilton, Portland, Heywood, Cavendish and Batesford - among them are engineers, a secondary teacher, small business owner, farming contractor, veterinary surgeon, business consultant, a respite program manager and five high school students.
"Aviva's support has enabled us to research and upgrade the vehicle's capabilities to run on two entirely renewable energy sources - the sun and human ingenuity.
"The partnership has also helped provide an educational experience in the fields of engineering, physics, electrochemistry and mathematics for the student members of the team, as well as a unique personal development experience for them," he said.
The Aviva Solar Car has a distinguished pedigree, having won the World Solar Challenge in 1999. In 2005, it qualified ninth in a field of 23 solar cars from USA, UK, Germany, Canada, France, Japan, Netherlands, Taiwan, Iran, Belgium and Australia. The same year it also broke the world 24-hour record with a 1,339 km run at the Ford Australia proving ground near Geelong. Electrical and solar panel upgrades have been undertaken to help ensure the vehicle remains competitive.
2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge
Billed as the ultimate challenge in sustainable energy, 2007 is the 20th anniversary of the biennial World Solar Challenge event. The 40 international participants in the 2007 World Solar Challenge (21-28 October) will travel from Darwin to Adelaide using only the sun's radiation for power. This clean and sustainable event sees the cars reaching the legal speed limits on the open highway in a 3000 km race - nearly ten times as far as a Grand Prix but with zero carbon emissions.
Facts on solar cars versus conventional transport:
- Australia produces 1.4% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, with 14% of them the result of transport
- Australia's annual rate of greenhouse gas emissions is the highest in the industrialised world at 27.9 tonnes per person
- The average car (petrol/diesel) emits between 104-120 grams of CO2 per kilometre - the solar car emits zero grams of CO2 per kilometre of travel
- Car use for the average Australian adds around 5 tonnes of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere, enough to fill 11,000 wheelie bins each year
- Each Formula One racing car emits around 17 tonnes of CO2 during their racing season, whereas each solar racing car emits zero tonnes of CO2 during their racing season.
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Media information:
Christine Elmer
Public Relations Manager, Aviva Australia
Telephone: 03 9829 8603 or 0408 381 883
E-mail: christine.elmer@avivagroup.com.au
Notes to editors:
- Aviva Australia is a group of two specialist financial services companies: Navigator and Norwich Union Life Australia Ltd. Portfolio Partners is the Australian funds management arm of Aviva plc. Through these companies we provide products and services in the areas of wealth creation and wealth protection for more than 300,000 customers throughout Australia.
- Aviva is one of the leading providers of life and pensions to Europe with substantial positions in other markets around the world, making it the world's fifth largest insurance group based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2006.
- Aviva's principal business activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance, with worldwide total sales* of £41.5 billion at 31 December 2006 and assets under management of £377 billion at 30 June 2007.
* Based on life and pensions PVNBP, total investment sales and general insurance and health net written premiums including share of associates' premiums.