At the end of September, the innovative solar powered car of the aCentauri Solar Racing Team arrived in Adelaide, Australia. As official partner, the international logistics company Gebrüder Weiss transported the high-tech vehicle, with all the relevant equipment to Australia, seamlessly coordinating a mix of land transport, air and sea freight. At the end of October, students of ETH Zurich will take part in the World Solar Challenge with the car. In this unique race, 31 teams must cover the 3,000 km from Darwin down through the Australian outback to Adelaide, using only solar energy.
When the shipment arrived at the airport in Adelaide, the Australian logistics experts from Gebrüder Weiss were called for. After all, the solar powered car is no “standard product”, but was designed, built, and tested by the ETH Zurich students themselves. Special regulations apply to the import of used goods to Australia: “In order to protect Australia’s unique flora and fauna from pests and diseases, the import of used goods is subject to strict quarantine and customs regulations,” explains Martin Fernandes, Country Manager Australia at Gebrüder Weiss. “We had already prepared extensive documentation and certificates for the import of the solar powered car and all related equipment in advance. This way, we ensured that the team could start on time for the race.”
Team Manager Alexandr Ebnöther is already in the starting blocks with his aCentauri Solar Racing Team and is relieved to have a specialist with local knowledge at his side in Gebrüder Weiss: “We are fortunate to have gained an internationally operating logistics partner. The experts at Gebrüder Weiss know the local regulations and have taken care of all the formalities for us, so that we can concentrate fully on preparing for the race.” To be perfectly prepared for the start of the race on October 22 in Darwin, the aCentauri Solar Racing Team will also road test its Solar Challenger on some sections of the track.
Gebrüder Weiss sees such ambitious research and innovation as the basis for new mobility concepts, and as an asset for a state-of-the-art infrastructure in logistics. That is why Gebrüder Weiss cooperates with young scientists to jointly shape the mobility of the future. In doing so, the logistics experts contribute their extensive knowledge and many years of experience, be it for the punctual start of the World Solar Challenge, or for a Mars or space mission.
