Flinders University has joined forces with the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge to usher in a new generation of solar vehicles.

The world’s leading solar challenge event will then cover the 3000km from Darwin to Adelaide  through Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Coober Pedy and Port Augusta and finish on 25 October in Victoria Square, Adelaide.

A number of Flinders University students and academics will travel with the teams, including Dr Stuart Wildy, who’s leading a research group looking to design and build Flinders’ first solar car for the 2017 World Solar Car Challenge.

Paramedic and media and screen students also will travel from Darwin to Adelaide to support the event

Throughout the event, Flinders will support a range of Bridgestone World Solar Challenge promotions in Victoria Square, including Mission Control, the social media hub and high-tech displays by the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Overlooking the finish line, Flinders Victoria Square will host the event’s mission control.

School children will be invited to build their own solar car while the solar cars commence their marathon journey.

Flinders NT staff are invited to State Square from 6.30am on Sunday (18 October) for the 8.30am departure of the solar vehicles from the steps of Parliament House in State Square via Bennett Street and Tiger Brennan Drive to the Stuart Highway.

After extensive time trials, the 46 teams from 25 countries will line up for dynamic scrutineering at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Motor Sport Complex on Saturday (17 October) from 8am to 2.30pm.

Teams from around the world include entries from Indonesia’s Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember and Stanford University in the USA.

Event director Chris Selwood says the 13th biennial event is featuring some of the world’s most advanced technology in a bid to create a more sustainable future with the world’s most efficient electric car.

“We have new cars purpose built for this event and in the case of the highly evolved new Cruisers, the technology is easing closer to the mainstream,” he says.

Three classes of vehicle, Challenger, Cruiser and Adventure, will take on the Australian outback in a contest of endurance, strategy and innovation.

The awards and presentation night at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre will follow the celebrations and street parade in Victoria Square from 12 noon to 3pm on 25 October.