Solar-powered car glided through Georgetown;
Last Updated on 2/9/2012
Published on 5/29/2009
By Clayton Stairs
cstairs@gtowntimes.com
No, it was not a UFO.
A vehicle cruising down Highway 17 in Georgetown turned a lot of heads Wednesday.
Some described it as a flying saucer, but it was actually a solar-powered car.
Energy from the sun, collected by cells on the top, charges batteries that power the one-person car.
It is made of polyurethane covered in fiberglass.
The driver and creator of the car, Marcelo DaLuz, and his team following in a van, came through Georgetown on their way to Washington, D.C.
They stopped at Tupacz Liquor Store on Church Street when DaLuz realized a City Police officer was following him closely.
"I have been pulled over 19 times," DaLuz said. "This time, the officer just asked me some questions. Everyone is curious."
Spreading the word
That curiosity is exactly the point.
DaLuz said his main goal for making this trek across the continent is to bring awareness of the fact that technology is out there to solve a lot of our problems with fossil fuels.
"We are promoting the use of clean and sustainable energy," DaLuz said. "We have to take ownership because we have the technology. We just lack the political will."
Record journey
The car, called Power of One (or X of 1 for short), has traveled more than 16,000 miles in North America and Canada, as well as going to the Arctic Circle, crossing the Continental Divide six times.
These accomplishments are world records for a solar-powered car.
The top speed for the car is 75 miles-per-hour and it goes from 0 to 50 miles-per-hour in six seconds, DaLuz said.
Next, they plan to continue their journey and return to the Arctic Circle by way of Canada.
Their journey is being documented online at www.xof1.com.
Local reaction
Ann Ogburn, a manager at Tupacz said the car is definitely different.
"I thought it was a surfboard at first," she said.
Tom Hill, who lives near the store, is excited about alternative power technologies.
In fact, he has built a motorized bicycle himself.
He said the solar-powered car is the next step in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.
"These guys are touching the outside edges and pushing the limits," Hill said.
Kenneth Coles, who stopped to look at the car, said he was very impressed with it.
"The man who created this car must be a genius," Coles said. "I've never seen anything like it before."
