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Solar taxi ends round-the-world trip

Swiss teacher and adventurer, Louis Palmer, has arrived back home after completing the first round-the-world trip in a solar-powered car. His blue and white three-wheeler with its trailer of solar cells in tow rolled into the Technopark Luzern after 53,000 kilometres, 18 months and more than 50 countries. The car runs on solar power but Palmer also had a battery for travel at night or in less sunny countries which he recharged from local electricity. Palmer says he only lost two days to breakdowns on the entire journey. Passengers included U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Monaco’s Prince Albert and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Vincent Landon spoke to Louis Palmer and began by asking him what he thought the journey had achieved:

Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer arrives with his solartaxi at his final destination in Root, outside Lucerne yesterday, completing a 53,451 km journey around the world which started in Lucerne in July 2007. The solar taxi, which can travel at a maximum speed of 90 km/h on its three wheels, is powered 100 percent by solar energy obtained through the vehicle, which includes a trailer on the back with solar cells. (REUTERS/Michael Buholzer)

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