Avgorou students win Cyprus solar race

The Famagusta Solar Car team of the technical school of Avgorou won Sunday’s 5th annual solar car race in Nicosia with the capital’s mayor saying the event will be upgraded to an international level.

The Avgorou students won the race in their ‘Hyperion 2’ vehicle, while Club RA Belarus from Limassol won the ‘best design’ award. Hyperion 1 won a runner-up prize, as did Solevo 3 of the Pascal English School in Nicosia, the Philadelphia University of Jordan, NUST University Pakistan, Sun-der from Nicosia, Odyssey from Nicosia and Team ‘91’ from Limassol.
The race, that looped on the popular streets of Themistocles Dervis, Spyrou Kyprianou and Stassicratous, was organised by the Cyprus Institute, with Deputy Vice President Dr Michalis Yiangou praising the participation of young people, “which opens the horizons for the scientists of the future, who are challenging science and technology and utilising the ample supply of solar energy.”
Nicosia Mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis said that pollution from car fumes is a major concern, adding that solar energy is the only long-term and sustainable solution.
“Thanks to the great success of the Solar Car Race, both the co-organisers from the municipality, the Cyprus Institute and others have agreed to upgrade the event to a regional race and aim to attract international participations worldwide, which will also place Cyprus on the world solar race map,” the mayor said.
Sponsors included the Russian Commercial Bank, Alpha Bank, KPMG, Medochemie, Ethniki Insurance, the University of Cyprus, Cyfield-Nemesis, Kemanes Print Shop, Segway Station and Odyssey Consultants Ltd. The event was supported by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Starbucks, Shiahini, Landas Colour, Kapodistrias Automotive Parts and Pandora Bakeries, with support services provided by the Nicosia Traffic Police and an emergency team from the Nicosia General Hospital.