Sharjah: Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) made another significant step toward becoming a green transportation incubation hub and a testing centre for cutting-edge technologies by bringing the renowned Hungarian solar racing car Megalux to Sharjah for public display.
A team from Hungary’s John von Neumann University (JvNU), was developed the solar vehicle and assembled as well as installed the car at the SRTIP’s Sharjah Open Innovation Lab (SOILAB). The car has a distinctive appearance and resembles a catamaran.
The JvNU team had earlier driven the vehicle to University City and stopped at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), an SRTIP partner. AUS Chancellor Dr. Susan Mumm welcomed them. In the presence of officials from SRTIP, University City, and the American University of Sharjah (AUS), the car was then ceremoniously put at SRTIP. Until the COP28 Conference, which takes place in Dubai in November 2023, the car will be on exhibit at SRTIP.
A six-square-metre solar panel surface provides energy to the racing vehicle called Megalux, which was created in Hungary. The vehicle with one-wheel drive has a dual-circuit hydraulic braking system. The incredibly sleek solar vehicle weighs just a little bit more than 160 kilos. The Megalux has a sandwich construction comprised of carbon fibre and a plastic body.
At SRTIP, we are driven by a relentless thirst for green transportation solutions. After our ground-breaking agreement with Lightyear, we are proud to present the revolutionary Megalux solar car that has won wide recognition worldwide. We are all the more excited about it because the car is the result of university research, as SRTIP has strong collaboration with American University of Sharjah (AUS) and its students and faculty.
Mr. Hussein Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTIP, remarked.
“The electric vehicle and solar-powered vehicle industries are gaining increasing importance because of the need to reduce emissions and improve air quality to combat climate change. Recent statistics show that the electric vehicle industry is rapidly growing in the Middle East, with the number of electric vehicles on the road increasing by almost 50% in the last five years. SRTIP aims to be a frontrunner in this field,” Mr. Al Mahmoudi added.