Saskatchewan Polytechnic students picked up three awards during two recent competitions for their energy-efficient cars that they constructed out of recycled materials.
The students’ urban concept car finished first and the prototype car finished third in their respective fuel economy categories during the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 16.
The concept car also placed second in the Drivers’ World Championship regional competition, which qualifies the urban concept car and team for the Shell Eco-Marathon Drivers’ World Championship Grand Final in India this October.
The students have been designing, building, refining and testing the two vehicles since last September. With a result of 811 miles per gallon, the educational institution earned first in the urban concept category and placed third in the prototype category with a result of 292.8 miles per kilowatt hour per litre fuel efficiency.
“Congrats to our students on their first- and third-place finishes. We are incredibly proud that our students have had such a strong finish at the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas competition,” said Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech president and CEO.
“Our students are the only Canadian team to qualify for the Drivers’ World Championship Grand Final in India. Our students’ performance is a testament to their dedication and hard work and the dedication of our faculty, who provided guidance and support throughout the journey,” he continued.
“These students are true innovators, taking on the challenges and opportunities of the future, showcasing their skills and talent on a global stage.”
This has been a great year for the team, as it continued to work on the two cars it entered into the 2022 competition, which meant it didn’t have to start from scratch, said Tim Muench, head of the Design and Manufacturing Engineering Technology (DMET) program.
“For the last eight months, students have been making the systems better and building in reliability. We have also made some upgrades and are using more recyclable materials,” he added. “The results have really paid off with first and third place finishes. I’m so proud of our team.”
The energy efficiency competition brought together over 60 student teams from across North and South America to push the boundaries of energy efficiency and innovation. The goal of the Shell Eco-Marathon is for teams to drive and compete for the best energy efficiency result in their vehicle class and energy category.
At the heart of the competition lies the age-old problem of travelling using as little energy as possible.
Sask Polytech students have worked hard to solve this problem. Since 2018 the team has taken inspiration from Saskatchewan’s prairie culture, incorporating recycled carbon fibre hockey sticks into the frames for all eco-marathon cars.
The urban concept car also has a 35cc ice auger engine with a custom fuel injection system and a steering wheel made of flax fibre. The body of the urban concept car was 3D printed using recyclable materials.
Special filament was used with a temperature-triggered, active foaming technology to reduce the weight to one-third of a traditional 3D printed part. A two-litre pop bottle pressurizes the fuel system.
“It’s super cool to be a part of Sask Polytech’s Eco Car team. It’s a creative, innovative, collaborative environment. It’s amazing to know we built these cars from nothing. It’s surreal,” said Linden Herperger, a DMET student.
“Driving around a famous racetrack wasn’t previously on my bucket list. But in hindsight, it is now,” he added. “It’s an incredible thing to do. I can’t wait for the Drivers’ World Championship Grand Final.”
The urban concept car is designed for city driving and considers comfort, luggage space, and fuel economy. This car could be a future commuter car and must include two doors, four wheels, full lighting, a horn, brake functions and a windshield wiper.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic has competed in the Shell Eco-Marathon competition since 2017.
