Teams preparing for next year’s solar powered car races across Australia have been urged to ‘take on the Dutch’, who have dominated the event for years.

Up to 50 teams from 25 countries are expected to take part in the 3,000 kilometre race for solar-powered cars from Darwin to Adelaide in October next year.

South Australian environment minister Ian Hunter announced the dates for the 2017 race at the weekend and said teams were being encouraged to use the hashtag #BWSCtakeontheDutch.

He said it was a case of sparking some friendly international rivalry for an event which attracts global interest, news agency AAP reports.

Last year, students from Delft university won the challenger event, which is all about speed, narrowly beating students from Twente into second place. And students from Eindhoven university won the cruiser class competition for family cars.

The Delft Nuon Solar team has won the challenger event six out of the eight times the race has been held.