New to the 2005 North American Solar Challenge (NASC) were the Green Caravan Awards organized by the Red River Valley Clean Cities Coalition, and sponsored by Kraus Global and the RRVCCC Winnipeg Chapter.  These awards were developed to recognize teams that “go the extra mile” to optimize their fuel economy and minimize their environmental impact by driving support vehicles that used alternative fuels or demonstrated exceptional fuel economy. 

The 2005 NASC, the longest solar car race in the world, featured 18 solar-powered vehicles designed, built and driven by teams of students from universities and colleges throughout the U.S. and Canada.  These solar vehicles produce no emissions and traveled the 2500-mile (4000 km) race route using only the energy produced by the sun.  In order to transport team members and equipment, and for safety reasons, several support vehicles, ranging from vans and trucks to semi-trailers and RVs, accompany each of the solar cars throughout the race.  The Green Caravan Awards were developed to encourage teams to get first-hand experience with the vehicles available today which reduce emissions and reduce fuels, while developing the engineering skills needed to design the cleaner, more efficient vehicles of tomorrow. 

The Kraus Global Alternative Fuel Award ($5000 CAD) is awarded to the team filling with the greatest quantity of alternative fuels (e.g. ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, or propane) along the race route. 

The Clean Cities Winnipeg Fuel Efficiency Award ($5000) is awarded to the team driving the most fuel-efficient support vehicles. 

The monetary portion of the award is intended to help schools finance the construction of their entry in the next Solar Challenge, allowing teams to continue to develop and promote innovative, sustainable transportation technologies. 

The Awards were presented to the winning teams in Calgary, AB on July 28, 2005. 

Kraus Global Alternative Fuel Award

Teams participating in this award used nearly 500 gallons of ethanol and biodiesel blends in their support vehicles throughout the race.

Kansas State University’s Solar Car Race Team won the Kraus Global Alternative Fuel Awards, using 235 gallons of alternative fuels throughout the 2500-mile race.  KSU won this award with the support from a local organization, Kansas Soybean Association, who provided the team with bio-diesel throughout the course of the race.

Clean Cities Winnipeg Fuel Efficiency Awards

Teams participating in this award used a total of 4 hybrid electric vehicles and were encouraged to engage in driving activities that enhance fuel economy throughout the race.

Red River College Solar Care Race Team won the Clean Cities Winnipeg Fuel Efficiency Award, using only 4 vehicles of which 3 were hybrids. Red River College won this award with the support of Manitoba Transportation and Government Services, who provided the teams with these highly fuel efficient vehicles and which achieved an average of 47.5 miles/gallon throughout the race.

The North American Solar Challenge (NASC) is a solar car race from Texas to Alberta taking place from July 17 to 27, 2005.  Over 35 vehicles designed and constructed by teams of students from colleges and universities from throughout the U.S. and Canada will be competing in this race.  In preparation for this momentous competition, a Test Run of the NASC route was held this summer.  On July 23, 2004, the test run passed through Winnipeg.  To mark the occasion, the Province of Manitoba, City of Winnipeg and RRVCCC Winnipeg Chapter, held an event at the Legislative Building to provide an opportunity for community representatives and interested stakeholders to learn more about the race, view a solar car display and learn how they might become involved in 2005.  The event was well attended, attracting representatives from all three levels of government, academic institutions, NGOs and the media. 

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The NASC is an opportunity for college and university students from across North America to advance the development of alternative energy technologies and educate the public about clean, renewable energy sources.  Solar cars are the ideal example of a fuel-efficient vehicle, however most team support caravans are not highly fuel-efficient nor do they operate on clean burning fuels.  In order to encourage teams to carefully consider the impacts their caravans have on the environment and to educate teams on how to select support vehicles that are more environmentally sound, the RRVCCC developed a series of awards for the solar car teams who operated the most fuel-efficient, clean burning caravans throughout the race.