Scientists and students will gather in Ho Chi Minh City\'s Sai Gon Hi-tech Park next month to showcase self-made solar powered vehicles.

A visitor tries out a solar vehicle designed by the HCM City University of Technical Education

Organised for the first time by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, together with the City Energy Conservation Centre, the race will take place on October 24 in an effort to promote research into, and application of, solar energy in communities nationwide.

To date, around 30 teams comprising of students and scientists from several universities and institutes from across the country have registered to join the race, according to Huynh Kim Tuoc, director of the City Energy Conservation Centre.

The competition will be made accessible to all individuals and organisations currently operating in Vietnam, the organising board planning to receive registrations up until the end of this month.

"We expect the race to be organised on an annual basis in order to give Vietnam an opportunity to solve its environmental issues," Tuoc said.

Each team has been provided with a 244wp (watt peak) solar battery for use in their vehicles, technical support for which is set to come from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Sciences.

Doan Tat Linh, a lecturer from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education, said that the race would be very interesting seeing as creating a solar-powered car, never mind controlling it, was pretty difficult.

"An environmentally friendly, solar powered vehicle, run experimentally last weekend, drew a lot of public attention," Linh said.

The race is set to be sponsored by the Danish Embassy.