Solar taxi heats up climate debate

Updated 23.45 Thu Dec 04 2008
Keywords: climate change, environment, solar car

A Swiss inventor has completed the first trip around the world in a solar-powered car.

Louis Palmer travelled 32,000 miles through 38 different countries since setting off in July last year

The car arrived in the Polish city of Poznan in time for the UN conference on climate change

The car arrived in the Polish city of Poznan in time for the UN conference on climate change.

Mr Palmer said he wanted to raise awareness of alternative energy sources as delegates from some 190 nations work towards a new treaty to limit pollution.

He said: "I hope really that the car industry they hear these signs and they really change and make electric cars in the future,"

Mr Palmer's prototype was not cheap to manufacture - it cost him about the same as two Ferrari sports cars.

But he reckons his invention would sell at around £8,700 if the big car makers manufactured it.

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