Qura University students have succeeded in developing a solar-powered golf buggy. The car is the Mechanical Engineering students' graduation project which they named Mashaer. The students demonstrated the buggy in the courtyards of the Grand Mosque. It cost them SR23,295 including SR10,000 that was disbursed by the Student Affairs Deanship. The students bought a fuel-powered golf buggy for SR5,000. Their first step was to turn it into a car able to work on solar energy. They then installed solar panels that charged the engine's battery. The electrical system installed in the buggy guarantees high performance. The project took three months to complete, starting with a great deal of research and studies and ended with the car being driven in the Grand Mosque's courtyards. The students said they had a hard time finding the required solar panels on the local market. Other difficulties included the lack of a specialized workshop; and the high prices and lack of spare parts for such vehicles. The vehicle charges for six hours for a two-hour operation. Although its speed was not expected to exceed 30 km per hour, it reached 50 km per hour, the students said.
