The pride of Maryland: a solar powered car for GM Sunrayce USA

In 1987, the General Motors experimental vehicle “Sunraycer” won the inaugural World Solar Challenge race in grand form. Powered only by energy from the sun, this rolling showcase of high technology sprinted across the Australian continent, winning by two days over its nearest competitor at an average speed of 41.6 miles per hour. To encourage additional practical research in the field of solar vehicles, General Motors, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Society of Automotive Engineers sponsored a solar car race in 1990 called the GM Sunrayce USA.