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INUVIK - Marcelo da Luz and his solar car made it to Inuvik last week and left just about as fast as they came in.

Da Luz and his team left Buffalo, New York on June 12 to take a record-setting trip North in a solar-powered car.

Marcelo da Luz applies some oil to the wheel of his solar car. Da Luz and his crew were in Inuvik last week to complete their trek across the country in a solar-powered car. The team spent a day in town before heading back down the Dempster Highway. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

They arrived in town on July 31.

Traveling with da Luz was a team of three technicians traveling in a van, accompanied with a trailer for repairs and tools.

Da Luz parked his million-dollar creation at the Arctic Chalet last week before showing it off around town that afternoon.

Da Luz said people don't usually associate solar cars with the North, but he wanted to do something new.

"When you hear solar car, you think tropical weather and sunshine," he said.

"You don't think of the North."

He added that time constraints were also an issue for the team.

"We planned on being here on June 21, which would have been peak time for the sun," he said.

"We came late, but we're here."

The car was fully designed by da Luz and his team of engineers. He remarked the car did well, even though it wasn't made to ride the bumpy Dempster highway.

"This car wasn't made to take big bumps. It's made for long distance driving," he said.

He said he wanted to take the car on the Dempster because it was the biggest challenge he could find.

Da Luz brought 75 spare tires with him - all custom-made for the car.

"We only had to use five spares on the way here," he said.

It took the crew five days to drive the Dempster from Klondike Corner lodge.

Batteries in the solar car can charge for up to six hours under a good uncovered sun, which can supply enough power for 200 kilometres of driving.

Da Luz said the car's full capabilities allow him to drive at a top speed of 120 km an hour, but that can drain the battery pretty fast.

"We were usually driving around 30 km an hour on the Dempster," he said.

Once da Luz and his team were able to spend some time in town talking with residents, they took the Dempster back down south again.