Adam meets the next generation of engineers who are making the electric car an affordable and desirable reality.

Broadcast Tuesday 7th February at 7pm

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This week the Science Cafe pays another visit to the School of Engineering at Cardiff University to find out about their plans to turn their Formula Student racing car into an electric car.

We meet mechanical engineering lecturer Dr. Huw Davies and two students, Dominic Lee and Russell Gay, who are developing an electric drive train for the University's car which is currently competing very successfully in Formula Student with an internal combustion engine. They talk to Adam about the advantages of an electric engine in creating a lighter, more powerful and faster racing car. And the team's technician, Lee Treherne, describes driving the car in competition and anticipates the experience of driving an electric racing car that's even faster.

Adam also talks to Prof. Karen Holford, Director of the School of Engineering and Dr. Paul Nieuwenhuis from Cardiff Business School. They discuss the challenge of making low-carbon, sustainable motoring popular and changing public opinion to perceive electric cars as fast, powerful and desirable.

At Glyndwr University in Wrexham, Science Cafe producer Tracy Cardwell meets Graham and Rebecca Sparey-Taylor and the team behind the Welsh solar car. Their first vehicle, Gwawr, competed in the Panasonic World Solar Challenge in Australia in 2007 and they're now developing the latest version, Tan-y-Wawr, which will be unveiled during National Science and Engineering Week in March 2012.

Links

Cardiff School of Engineering

Formula Student UK

Welsh Solar Car