Stanford Students Unveil New Solar-Powered Car

Call it the ultimate in clean cars. But with a cost of roughly $500,000, this one might be reserved for only the die-hardiest of die-hards.

Weighing in at just 375 pounds, the Xenith looks a lot like a little spaceship.  It's so aerodynamic, its inventors say, this latest creation of the Stanford Solar Car Project claims less drag than a bicycle.  And it travels at speeds up to 70 mph, powered only by solar panels.

A team of Stanford undergrads spent the last two years building the vehicle, and today they're unveiling it at 5 pm on the Stanford campus at the Volkswagon Automotive Innovation Laboratory.

But if you can't make it to Stanford this afternoon, you can see the Xenith in all its aerodynamic glory in this video below.

The Xenith and team will head to Australia in October to compete in the World Solar Challenge, a nearly 2,000-mile race across the continent. The international competition involves more than 30 teams from 20 countries, including one from UC Berkeley.