Earlier this month, Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s eco-car team grabbed the prestigious Technical Innovation Award at the Shell Eco-Marathon 2022 competition at the renowned Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The final day of the competition was to test the car limits and energy efficiency during the races.
Sask Polytech students created two eco-cars: one for the prototype category and the second for the urban concept. While their prototype vehicle could not compete due to bad weather, the team’s Urban Concept car nabbed fourth place after showing off its 372mpg (158km/l) fuel efficiency.
Image: Sask Polytech
Tim Muench, the program head for design and manufacturing engineering technology at Polytech, oversaw the project. He mentioned that the engineering students used lightweight PLA for the car, which is relatively a new material for 3D printing. It is around one-third of the normal weight of 3D printed material. It also utilizes about a third of the material amount, so the final product uses less material making it easy to recycle.
The 3D printed body with its frame consisting of recycled carbon fiber hockey sticks impressed the judges the most. Even the weight of the car reduces to one-third of the conventional 3D printed parts. The size of the car is quite small for reducing its rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag.
Image: Moose Jaw Today
After entering the challenge, the prototype car surpassed all the technical inspections. Sadly, it couldn’t participate in the race due to the weather. However, the urban concept car showed its efficiency in the competition.
The urban concept car is ideal for city driving while considering luggage space, comfort, and fuel economy. This concept eco-car could potentially work as a future commute vehicle, with inclusion of four wheels, two doors, a complete horn, lighting, and brake features.
Via: Design Engineering