Aviva Australia is sponsoring the "Aviva Southern Aurora" solar car, an entrant in the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge race.
Aviva Australia is sponsoring the "Aviva Southern Aurora" solar car, an entrant in the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge race.
The space-age cars competing in the Panasonic World Solar Challenge will travel between Darwin and Adelaide using only the sun's radiation for power.
This clean and sustainable event begins on 21 October and has attracted more than 40 international entrants. The cars reach the legal speed limits on the open road in a 3,000km race - nearly 10 times as far as a Grand Prix but with zero carbon emissions.
Allan Griffiths, chief executive officer, said the sponsorship reinforces Aviva's focus on building a better tomorrow and is a further endorsement of Aviva plc's decision to be the first insurer to carbon neutralise its businesses worldwide.
Aviva Australia will research and enhance the car's capabilities to run on two 100% renewable energy sources - the sun and human ingenuity! The team comprises six professionals, including an IT business consultant, design engineer and a farmer, plus two high school students and two tertiary students.
Grant Salmon, chief operating officer, launched the sponsorship today at Albert Park in Melbourne. "The sponsorship is critical for developing and raising the profile of environmentally-friendly energy sources for transport," he said. "Aviva's support for research into alternative energy sources is a step towards reducing Australia's growing contribution to carbon dioxide emissions."
Australia produces 1.4% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and around 14% of these are a result of transport. Australia's rate of greenhouse gas emissions is the highest in the industrialised world at 27.9 tonnes per person.
"Aviva's partnership with the ‘Aviva Southern Aurora' team also provides opportunity for critical research into renewable and sustainable energy by the student members of the team," said Grant. "Aviva strongly believes in providing young people with the opportunity to help shape the future. Our strategy for the future is to make sure there is a future for our children."
The car will fine-tune its efficiency as a solar car by competing in many lead-up events and the team will keep a log of the car's progress which you can read on the "Aviva Solar Car" website.