HE DREAMT of it when he was 14, and at 35, Louis Palmer is fulfilling his childhood dream of going round the world in a vehicle powered by solar energy. Called the Solartaxi, it will have taken him on a 12-month journey covering 50,000 kilometres to 50 countries over five continents when he completes his trip.

Not just a childhood whim, Palmer’s mission is to find environmentally friendly solutions to the energy crisis and to increase awareness about combating global warming.

Palmer’s trip commenced from Lucerne on July 3 and is expected to bring him to Abu Dhabi on August and Dubai by the end of the month, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Solartaxi is a unique concept where, apart from the team, there is room for a passenger who can take a short ride in the vehicle in places that the vehicle passes through along its scheduled route. Hence the name Solartaxi. It is the world’s longest cab ride, indeed! 

How did you get the idea of going on a world trip by a cab?

When I was 14 years old, I had already started dreaming of travelling the world with a solar-powered car. It's clean, it does not harm the environment and does not deplete energy, and what’s more, solar energy is free.

Somehow I was also convinced that when I would be 30 years old, all the people in the world would be driving solar- powered cars.

Petrol is creating too many problems. But today, I am 35 years old, and I cannot even buy a solar-powered car! So I decided to sell my petrol car and build a solar car myself and drive it around the world to show that not only does it work, but also that I can travel around the world with solar energy!

What message do you carry for people of the world with this sustainable source of energy?

The world already has a solution against global warming — solar energy. It will be a key player for the future energy needs of the world. We just have to learn to use it and show what is possible with it.

How do you think your trip will influence and inspire people around the world?

I very much hope that it helps people realise that solar energy is the energy of the future. We can use it to run electric devices at home and even for powering our car. It is clean, climate-neutral, safe and free.

Can a solar vehicle be a viable business proposition? Can they be mass-produced?

Of course! The solar cell and battery technology has made great progress in the last few years. This car could be produced without the solar cells, for 6,000 Euros.

Do you have sponsors for this trip? Who are they?

My main sponsor is Q-Cells, the world's second largest manufacturer of solar cells, based in Germany. And many Swiss companies have provided their technology for this project, like Zebra battery, Servax motors and Rockwell

Automation, and the apprentices of Schindler (Elevators) have built the car.

How many people are travelling with you?

A technical supporter, Thomas Gottschalk, 24, from Berlin, Germany, is travelling with me the whole way, until we get back to Switzerland. He is also the driver of the support vehicle. Between two and four more people can travel with us, but these additional crewmembers are being changed frequently. At the moment, Heinz Sternjakob, 63, from Italy is the assistant. And the videographer Katja Joop, 30, is also with us. At the moment four people are travelling with me.

How is the logistics of the trip being handled?

We are transporting our communication equipment in a tour bus. As for the shipping, we are loading the Solartaxi and the tour bus in a container and have them shipped by from one continent to another.

For communication, we have great equipment with us, like computers, wireless Internet access, satellite telephone etc.

What about food and accommodation?

We can find food and accommodation everywhere along the way. But we very often get invitations from people who offer a safe overnight parking for the Solartaxi or even accommodation for the whole team. Getting a lot of help from different people has made our journey through different countries easier.

Which countries have you travelled so far?

We have travelled through Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, Syria and now on our way to Amman.

How has the reception in these countries been? Do you need visas for travel?

We have always received a very warm welcome in all the countries we have visited. In almost every city somebody has been waiting for the Solartaxi, with offer of help. We need, for example, a safe overnight parking for the car and someone who can take care of organising Press releases etc.

Our reception has been good because people all over the world are waiting for a new automobile technology and for a solution to combat the global climate crisis. So I am getting invitations every day from all over the world. It's fantastic!

We have had several meetings with the media and others. I have also got official invitations to visit politicians or city mayors wherever I go. These meetings have kept us very, very busy. I can tell you that it isn't a holiday trip at all!

As for visas, even though all the countries have been very helpful, we still need to get visas like any other ordinary tourists. I want to especially thank the Swiss embassies in all the countries on our route for their support.

How has the journey been? Any technical or health problems or any anxious moments so far?

When we started, the first week, we had intensive rain in Switzerland and Germany. We were not prepared for it, so the car stopped twice. Luckily, there were no damages, so we could continue.

Up to now, we have had no problems at all and no scary moments. In fact, the car has been working like a Swiss clock!

You were slated to visit the UAE on August 28 and 29. Is the journey on course? Will this be your first visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi? What do you expect do here?

Our visit to the UAE may be delayed a bit as we are still waiting for the Saudi visa, even as I speak to you (from Syria).

I have already been to Dubai three times and once to Abu Dhabi. I like the UAE very much. The Emirates is one of my favourite places on Earth because there is a lot to see and so many cultures to meet in one place. And it's clean and safe. The changes that are taking place in the country are incredible! I am looking forward very much to getting to the UAE and taking a short break and a little rest there.

How is your health holding out? Are you in fine fettle as you complete the first leg of the journey?

As I speak to you, I’m in Syria, on the way to Amman. And so far so good. My team and I have been in good health and are ready to take on the challenges that lie on the road ahead.

As a travel editor are you planning to write a book about your journey?

Yes, I am. In fact, when I finished the work on my self-made car, I thought it was time to write a book. Building a car with friends and the help of companies and universities was a big adventure already! (For details see Box: TRAILBLAZER) Of course, when I finish the tour, I will write one.

Are you having fun?

Of course! Travelling with a solar car through different nations and cultures meeting new and interesting people and taking passengers on the way is big fun. It’s an experience of a lifetime!

Save energy!

THE WORLD is just waking up to the fact that other planets may not support life, but it’s not going to be easy on this one either. Global warming, ecological hazards, environmental conservation and energy saving have become buzzwords. On the one hand, we are looking for alternative sources of energy, and on the other, the number of vehicles on the road are increasing by the minute.

The excessive use of natural resources is playing havoc with our ecology. The great demand for land and rapid industrialisation has led to encroachment of agricultural and horticultural lands. Cities are gradually creeping into rural areas. There is tremendous pressure on land use.

Against this backdrop, Louis Palmer’s trip around the world in an environmentally friendly vehicle pays more than lip service to the issues that have gained immediacy and relevance.

Palmer’s aim, through his yearlong odyssey, is to prove that we can reduce pollution and emission of harmful gases without compromising on our lifestyle.  

Just for the record

LOUIS PALMER set off from the Lucerne on July 3 and has travelled eastwards via Germany where he has visited his main sponsor, Q-Cells. When we last spoke to him, he was in Amman. The definitive route will depend on what kind of invitations the Solartaxi receives.

Palmer has a screen and projector with him for presentations. The project partner for this initiative is Presence Switzerland, the body whose job is to present Switzerland abroad, along with the Swiss embassies that are organising welcome events along the route.

Travel between continents takes place by ship. If everything works out, this project will set a world record — the first motor vehicle not powered by fossil fuel to drive around the world on normal roads. Thanks to state-of-the-art telecommunications technology, Palmer is reporting daily from his pioneering trip in an online diary, which can be followed at www.bluewin.ch/solartaxi. 

Trailblazer

IT ALL STARTED during the European Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF) 2007, held in the KKL Lucerne from

July 2 to 6. Then On July 3, the Solartaxi, which travels at a speed of 90 km/hr on its three wheels, set off on its pioneering journey.

Bertrand Picard, who intends to fly around the world in his solar plane Solar Impulse in 2011, was the first passenger on board the Solartaxi, accompanying Louis Palmer on the first stage of his journey.

The vehicle is designed by four Swiss institutes — HTA Luzern, ETH Zurich, University of Applied Sciences in Aargau and University of Applied Sciences in Berne.

It consists of a solar vehicle and trailer with solar cells. The vehicle is powered by 100 per cent solar energy and 50 per cent of the energy comes from its own solar cells on the trailer. The other 50 per cent is produced, certified and fed into the power grid on the roof of the Swisscom building in Köniz and accessed via power sockets en route. The solar taxi thus uses electricity from 100 per cent renewable energy and releases no emissions into the atmosphere. 

Towards a new dawn

Solartaxi’s unique trip has elicited the support of various industries. They include: Q-Cells, Swisscom, Technopark Luzern, wave, grebien network, Zebra, Schindler Apprentice Training, Kühne + Nagel, Servax, Rockwell.

The next leg

Abu Dhabi 28.08.07

Dubai 29.08.07

Lahore 11.09.07

Delhi 15.09.07

Dhaka 30.09.07

Singapore 02.11.07

Kuala Lumpur 04.11.07

Bangkok 11.11.07

Vientiane 15.11.07

Hong Kong 30.11.07

Shanghai 06.12.07

Beijng 13.12.07

Seoul 22.12.07

Tokyo 05.01.08