TOKYO, Aug. 24 (Kyodo) -- Panasonic Corp. said Wednesday it will become the sponsor for Tokai University's team in the 2011 World Solar Challenge in Australia, one of the largest solar-powered car races in the world.
The major electronics company will offer its solar cells and lithium-ion batteries to the Japanese university's team, which won the last race in 2009 using Panasonic battery cells to cover the 3,021-kilometer distance between Darwin and Adelaide.
The upcoming race will be held between Oct. 16 and Oct. 23.
The company's lithium-ion battery cells will also be used by five non-Japanese contestants from Dutch, Singaporean and U.S. universities.