A solar-powered race car — that looks like a boat — has arrived in the United Arab Emirates by way of Hungary.
It's an odd travel story for the unique-looking Megalux, a one-wheel-drive, solar-panel-covered ride that weighs less than 400 pounds, Gulf Today reports. The car is made with plastic and carbon fiber and has a flat top that allows for its roof to be covered in solar panels.
The driver's seat sits under a clear dome, like something out of The Jetsons.
But the developers are not interested in science fiction. Instead, their goal was to create real, clean energy technology that can help our planet.
Last year, the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTIP) signed an agreement with Hungary's John von Neumann University to work together on research, tech, and culture, ZAWYA reports. Sharjah is a city in the United Arab Emirates with a population of about 1.2 million.
More offerings like the Megalux should be on the way as experts from both countries continue to share ideas.
"At SRTIP, we are driven by a relentless thirst for green transportation solutions," Hussein Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah's scientific research center, told Gulf Today.
The deal, signed last year, gives the two countries' experts an opportunity to showcase their new tech in a different land.
Additionally, Al Mahmoudi told Gulf Today that the effort is largely driven by a motivation to reduce air pollution. He noted that the number of EVs in the Middle East has increased by 50% in the last five years.
While the Megalux is among the first technologies to result from this new research pact, it's just a small part of SRTIP's vision of becoming a clean energy and tech hub.
"SRTIP aims to be a frontrunner in this field," Al Mahmoudi told Gulf Today.
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