DEREK: Today is the final day of the World Solar Challenge.

Exciting race.

-[LAUGHS] -Yeah, it's really exciting.

There are three teams.

Within 30 minutes...

I don't know if it's ever happened. I think not.

DEREK: In one of the closest races in years,

the top three solar teams,

Vattenfall, Agoria and Tokai

are starting just minutes apart.

But only one will bring home the trophy.

MAUD: There's obviously a bit of tension in the yard

because you know it's so close.

[ALL SHOUTING]

We've worked 14 months everyday,

70 to 80 hours a week, to cross the finish line first.

It would mean everything.

Everyone is ready to take... To take the cup home.

I'm sure of that. It's gonna be all in today.

All cards on the table. It's gonna be super-exciting.

-[SHOUTING] -Today is the final day

and a big day.

[ALL CHEERING]

DEREK: It's all come down to this.

I am here in Adelaide,

where the World Solar Challenge 2019 will end.

It has been quite the journey.

Four-and-a-half days travelling 3,000 kilometers,

nearly 1,900 miles cutting across a continent.

And some of the most harsh, deadliest landscape on Earth.

300 kilometers up the road

at the final control stop,

the top three teams are starting

based on their arrival times yesterday.

[COUNTING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

DEREK: Defending champions Vattenfall

are first out of the gate.

[CONTINUES COUNTING]

We're just gonna go. We're gonna go to Adelaide

as fast as we can. We're planning

not to be overtaken.

DEREK: Team Agoria from Belgium

is only two minutes behind Vattenfall.

DEREK: Team Tokai is starting 19 minutes behind Agoria,

but can't be counted out of the running.

They've been gaining relentlessly

over the last two days, moving from seventh to third.

We have enough energy for the car to make it in.

In fact, we have too much energy

because of the speed restrictions yesterday.

So we'll be going at full speed

all the way into the finish line.

The Japanese... They just keep increasing the speed every day,

and I think they're making some of these European guys nervous.

DEREK: In fourth position, the American team, Michigan,

is still within striking distance.

They're about 90 kilometers back.

We don't know exactly where all the vehicles are.

Um, but we did hear that they're pretty packed together

near Port Augusta.

Um, we're hoping that means they over-race a little bit,

and they try to, um, do lots of passes today,

and hopefully, maybe we can close some ground.

DEREK: Back up front, Tokai is already making up time.

But you can never underestimate the reigning champions.

Vattenfall has won seven of the last nine races here.

WILLEM: Our car's looking really good.

But there are, right now, a lot of good cars.

Tokai... Also, the Belgium team. It's also a very good car.

DEREK: In the final leg of a solar car race,

teams use as much battery as they can

to sprint into the finish.

But if a battery's charge gets too low,

this can be dangerous.

So everyone's pushing the limits of their cars and their packs,

and so, if you start getting towards the low-end of the pack

where you're running out of energy and, kind of,

pushing it a bit further,

your battery can start getting a bit hot.

DEREK: When batteries heat up,

they can become unstable...

[SOBBING] I'm so glad you're okay.

...as the Stanford team found out

on the first day of the race.

Move back! Everyone...

DEREK: To stay safe, teams with low battery

must watch their speed.

[JASPER SPEAKING]

MAN: Yeah, I'll just sneak out to the right side.

DEREK: With nearly a full battery,

Agoria is slowly gaining on Vattenfall.

But with only a few hours left in the race,

it's not clear they'll have enough time

to catch the leader.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER RADIO]

We heard over the comms of Delft that something happened.

Had to go to the side of the road,

but I don't... I'm not sure why.

Uh, so we'll be merging behind their convoy,

and then monitor their speeds.

MAN: Say, Mission control...

DEREK: Up ahead, the reason Vattenfall

is pulling over becomes painfully clear,

as their cabin fills with smoke.

-MAN 1: Stand by. -MAN 2: We have stopped.

[MAN 1 SPEAKING]

[MAN 2 SPEAKING]

[MAN 1 SPEAKING]

[MAN 2 SPEAKING]

[MEN SHOUTING]

Holy... [BLEEP]

[WOMAN CRYING]

DEREK: In a matter of seconds,

Team Vattenfall's dreams are fully ablaze...

and the finality is inescapable.

[SPEAKING GERMAN]

[SPEAKING SWEDISH]

MAUD: This morning, we thought we were gonna finish first,

and now we have no car to cross the finish line with.

Uh, the whole team's quite devastated about it.

So we try to push each other

through this experience and try and stay positive,

but it's very, uh, difficult to,

with everything you've worked for is, sort of, gone.

DEREK: As the Vattenfall car is reduced to nothing but ash,

Agoria passes by and into the lead.

The moment you pass another car

being broken or facing something very difficult,

the first thought is always, "Is the pilot okay?"

And then, it hits you like, "Oh, it's their work."

And it... You started... I felt sick.

I felt sick and, like, "Oh, it's terrible for them."

And... Yeah, it's such a weird... Yeah.

I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

DEREK: Up ahead of the leaders,

Agoria's "eyes" car or scout vehicle

reacts to Vattenfall's fate on social media.

-You see the smoke? -What?

CEDRIC: What? [BLEEP]

[YANTE SPEAKING]

So we are in first position right now.

That's quite exciting.

DEREK: With Agoria taking over the lead,

Tokai moves into second place.

While the Belgians have had a remarkable stroke of luck,

they're now being hunted down by the team from Japan.

DEREK: An hour back from the leaders,

Michigan is arriving at the final control stop,

Port Augusta.

With Vattenfall out of the race,

they've moved into the top three.

ANDREW: We started this morning in fourth place.

We're now in third.

DEREK: But there's one major factor

that could still keep Michigan from a podium finish.

Two days ago, their lead car blocked Tokai from passing,

a possible violation of race rules.

DEREK: Tokai lodged a complaint with race officials,

but the jury is still out.

ANDREW: We didn't know if there was a penalty

related to the driving conduct of some vehicles.

Uh, and that was... It was pretty frustrating.

DEREK: In the World Solar Challenge,

penalties are levied as forced time-outs from the race.

If officials decide to rule against Michigan,

it could allow the car behind them, Top Dutch,

to catch up and knock them out of third place.

ANDREW: Our strategy will not change as a result of this.

And the best way to win is to just focus on your own car

and keep going.

MAN: Holy... [BLEEP] What's down here?

[SPEAKING GERMAN]

DEREK: Agoria's lead on Tokai is very slim.

Now just 15 minutes separates the front two cars,

and roadwork is just the kind of complication

that could bring Tokai right behind them.

So they look for a little help from the crew.

Okay, cool.

-Thank you very much. -Thanks a lot.

If we are gonna end up catching,

um, some of the teams in front of us,

we're gonna have to push our car to the limit.

Who knew that the competition

was gonna be the hardest we've ever faced.

But you never know what's gonna happen on this last day.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER RADIO]

DEREK: Despite talking to the flagman,

Agoria still has to slow down

to safely pass through the construction,

losing valuable time.

[SPEAKING IN JAPANESE]

DEREK: But by the time Tokai reaches the block,

the heavy equipment has cleared...

-and they sail right through... -[MAN SPEAKING JAPANESE]

...closing in on the leader.

[MAN SPEAKING JAPANESE]

SIDD: As we get into these more dense areas of the city,

we'll be sharing the road with all the normal traffic.

That, to me, is a lot riskier.

It's really stressful for us.

[KOUHEI SPEAKING]

DEREK: As both teams battle their way to the city center,

Tokai is closing in, just minutes behind.

So, the question is, can they catch them

with only two kilometers to go?

As the final minutes of the race tick away,

Tokai's only chance of catching up

is if Agoria gets snagged in the traffic lights.

But at the last intersection before the finish line at Bragg Park...

Agoria glides straight through.

-[HONKING] -[INAUDIBLE CHATTER]

[CHEERING]

-[BANGING] -MAN: Yes!

World Champions, baby! Okay.

[ALL CHEERING]

[ALL APPLAUDING]

[CHANTING IN UNISON]

What just happened? We became World Champion!

It's like... I have no words for it.

What is the event to you?

The event's a challenge.

It's a challenge to get here, 3,021 kilometers,

and if you get it, you already win,

and then, the second thing is getting first.

-And that's what we saw today. -[CHEERING]

[APPLAUSE]

DEREK: Tokai arrives just minutes behind

in second place.

After crossing the official finish line in Bragg Park...

both teams move to the red carpet celebrations here,

in Victoria Square.

It feels amazing. We worked so hard for this,

and now we've made it, and we're in first place.

So much time and effort put into this car.

So much friendships that were put on the line.

But it was all... Every single second of it was worth it.

[CHEERING]

[CORK POPS]

The level of the competition was so high,

with all the high-performing machines,

and a lot of top cars didn't survive the event.

So we're happy to finish,

and we're even happier to be on the podium.

[CHEERING]

[LAUGHING]

DEREK: Back at Bragg Park, Team Michigan is arriving.

[ALL CHEER]

DEREK: But inches before the finish line...

[MAN SPEAKING]

...they're stopped by race officials.

[MAN SPEAKING]

DEREK: The final judgement on Michigan's penalty has come down.

[MAN SPEAKING]

DEREK: They'll need to sit out an hour

before they can finish the race.

We had to serve some penalties.