PHL solar car Sikat II back in WSC Top Twenty

Team Solar Philippines' Sikat II ended the sixth day of the World Solar Challenge (WSC) in 20th place, ahead of Canada's University of Calgary; Turkey's Anadolu Solar Team ;and United Kingdom's Cambridge Uni Eco. The Philippines ended just behind Iran's Qazvin Islamic Azad University; Switzerland's Solar Energy Racers; and the USA's CalSol. Rainy conditions and an overcast sky on Friday forced Sikat II and other cars to end the day early, hitching a ride via trailer to Port Augusta —the last checkpoint before the "finish of timing line" at Angle Vale, just 40km near the race's endpoint in Adelaide. Team Solar Philippines expects to arrive in Adelaide just after noon on Saturday. Sikat II overcomes setback On Tuesday, the Sikat II's battery overheated and accidentally caught on fire, causing a substantial delay as the team struggled overnight to rebuild the damaged parts. However, with just two days left before the end of the race, Sikat II has not only overcome its earlier setback but has also returned to the top 20. The course through the Australian Outback remains tough for the racers as the rain started to fall on South Australia, forcing the solar cars to reach their next checkpoints by trailer. The cars' solar kilometers are calculated upon arrival at their respective checkpoints.

Fates of other teams Due to the grueling conditions of the race, Sikat II was not the only car that faced technical problems. Other teams encountered similar difficulties, notwithstanding the advanced technology at their disposal. Earlier in the day, Team Solar Philippines on their Twitter account reported that the driver of Belgium's solar car Umicore had inhaled toxic fumes after rainwater severely damaged the car's battery. Police and firemen came to the rescue and brought the driver to the hospital. Also on their Twitter, Team Solar Philippines congratulated Japan's Team Tokai, the Netherlands's Nuon Solar Team and USA's University of Michigan for winning the race at 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. They are also calling upon Filipinos in Adelaide to welcome them at the ceremonial finish line in Victoria Square at around 1 p.m. on Saturday. — TJD, GMA News