Even though his record breaking solar car – the XOF1 – was designed and built in Ontario, Marcelo da Luz was recently told he couldn’t drive his solar vehicle across the province.
“In a streak of irony Ontario has forbidden XOF1 to drive on its public roads and created administrative roadblocks to make it virtually impossible to drive any solar car across Ontario. XOF1 can be driven in nearly every jurisdiction in the world without restriction,” he explains.
Marcelo da Luz is not a man who gives up easily though. After breaking countless world solar car records, including the first electric vehicle to reach the Arctic Circle, doubling the previous world distance record (clocking in at 36,220.5km (22,436.3 miles) and still counting), as well as being the first electric vehicle to drive on an ice road and also the first EV to cross the longest continuous ice road in the world, da Luz was determined to not let Ontario stop his journey to raise awareness about the benefits of alternative vehicles.
The XOF1 Walk was conceived, with da Luz pulling his XOF1 solar car from Niagara Falls to Toronto, a journey of 160km (100 miles), as he continues to inspire people to learn, think and act - to discuss alternative forms of clean energy and to challenge people to consider their energy usage and the ways each of us individually can have an impact on our environment.
“It has been a very interesting experience, physically very challenging but spiritually very rewarding. I arrived in Mississauga, Ontario this afternoon, only two more days to go,” explains da Luz. “ I began alone and slowly people joined me on the walk, very touching.”
The XOF1 is an electric vehicle covered by 893 solar cells with a bank of lithium-ion polymer batteries to store electricity. The solar vehicle travels from zero to 85km/h (50mph) in 6 seconds, with a top speed of 120km/h (85 mph), and has a 500km (310.6 miles) range on a bright sunny day.
Visit: http://www.xof1.com/
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