Eight students from Sask Polytech competed in the Shell Eco-Marathon World Championship in India from Oct. 10-12.

The 10-member team tied for eighth place with its urban concept car, which achieved a result of 214 km/l. The competition is a race for speed and energy efficiency. This is the second time Sask Polytech has participated in the world championship.

To qualify, the team finished in first place at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in April.

Team member Matty Kozun, of Caronport, says the idea is to create a car that can test new technology while also incorporating some fresh ideas. He noted the concept car must include everything that is in a real car including blinkers, headlights, brake lights and a storage compartment for luggage.

"We went very Canadian-themed with it," he chuckled. "So our frame is completely made out of carbon fibre hockey sticks. We get those recycled from a sports store here in Saskatoon...Another cool thing is our body is 3D printed."

The engine was made from a 35cc Honda ice auger (1.25 hp) and has a custom fuel injection system.

eco-car

Kozun adds last year they incorporated some new flax components into the vehicle such as chain guards and part of the interior floor which is also made of flax fibre.

"The whole competition is based on sustainability and efficiency, so being able to use natural fibres like that is a great way to incorporate some of that stuff in our competition," added Kozun.

The single-seat vehicle was able to reach a speed of about 40 km/h, which was the limit set by the competition

Sask Polytech students have been working on their urban concept car since September 2022

Shell Eco-marathon is one of the world’s leading student engineering competitions focused on energy optimization. Teams drive and compete for the best energy efficiency result in their vehicle class and energy category against teams from other academic institutions.

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