There have been two important races taking place in Australia this week. One is known as "the race that stops the nation" - a horse race called the Melbourne Cup. The other is the Global Green Challenge - a 3,000 kilometer (1,864 mile) car race from the most northern tip of Australia, right through the Outback, to the southern coastal city of Adelaide.

But it's not a race that's only about the fastest car, the loudest engine or the best driver. It's the largest solar and eco-car race in the world, and its aim is to showcase the latest advances in hybrid, electric, solar, low emission, and alternative energy vehicles. Entrants from across the globe make the trek Down Under, to give the world a sneak peek into the environmentally sustainable cars of the future.

Report: Catherine Graue