CUER's new solar racing car launch at Goodwood Festival of Speed this Sunday 5th July

The Cambridge University Eco Racing team's (CUER) new solar racing car - Britain's brightest hope for the Global Green Challenge - will be launched at Goodwood Festival of Speed this Sunday 5th July. Currently codenamed 'Bethany', the car will be unveiled with its official name at the world-famous motorsport festival.

Whilst the CUER team has been manufacturing the latest model of their car, Bethany, their prototype solar-powered car Affinity has been on the road attending some high profile media events, and sharing the excitement of their project with local schools.

Affinity, was featured on The Gadget Show on Channel 5. Presenters Jason Bradbury and Ortis Deley were delighted by the vehicle’s performance as they raced around a park in Birmingham.

First stop was an appearance at the world premiere of eco-documentary ‘The Age of Stupid’. Piers Guy, one of the stars of the film, arrived at the premiere in Affinity, driving up the green carpet to a special solar-powered cinema in a tent in Leicester Square. The solar car caught the attention of numerous celebrities, who had all arrived by low-carbon transport including bikes, electric and biodiesel cars, rickshaws and public transport. The green film premiere attracted lots of media attention and Affinity even made a brief appearance on Channel 4 news.

After the premiere it was straight back on the road for Affinity as members of the CUER team travelled across Europe to exhibit the car at CleanEquity Monaco 2009. The conference, organised by Innovator Capital, showcased clean-tech companies from across the world, including PowerSi Technologies (a Department of Engineering spin-out). Affinity was displayed outside the Monte Carlo Casino, alongside other environmentally-friendly vehicles including a Tesla Roadster and Vectrix scooter, as well as the Place du Casino's usual Ferraris, Bentleys and Lamborghinis. HSH The Prince of Monaco closed the two-day conference, where he viewed Affinity and met members of the CUER team. Prince Albert II has long been a supporter of green technologies and it was an honour to meet him.

Closer to home, CUER has been visiting local schools as part of the team’s outreach programme. Successful visits were made to the Leys School, Perse Prep School, Thriplow C of E Primary, St. Anne’s C of E Primary (Godmanchester) and Stoke College (Suffolk). Pupils were able to watch Affinity in action, as well as building and racing their own solar buggies. The Stoke College visit was reported in the Haverhill Echo.