Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Over 120 student teams from 18 countries participated in Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2018, held at Singapore. As many as nine teams from Pakistan hit the ground running in the competition, out of which three represented NUST institutions, including College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering (CEME), Pakistan Navy Engineering College (PNEC) and School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering (SMME).

The marathon is the world’s leading competition that challenges students to design, build and test energy-efficient cars, stretching the boundaries of what is technically possible. They take their designs to a track in the mileage challenge to see which vehicle goes the farthest on the least amount of fuel.

The competition is split into two classes, i.e., the Prototype class that focuses on maximum efficiency, while passenger comfort takes a back seat; and the Urban Concept class that inspires more practical designs. Cars are also divided by energy type: Internal Combustion Engine powered by hydrocarbon fuels, and Electric Mobility Category, wherein vehicles are powered by hydrogen fuel cells and lithium-based batteries.

The CEME team NUSTAG participated in the Urban Concept Category with an internal combustion engine, and earned 11th position in the Urban Concept Gasoline Category. Their vehicle was named Peregrine. The team comprised undergraduate students of Mechanical Engineering, including Waqas, Shaheer, Safdar, Ahad, Kashan, ObaidUllah, Salar, Jamal and Ehsan. They were supervised by faculty members Dr. Raja Amer Azim and Lecturer Usama Bin Perwez. It is worth mentioning that Team NUSTAG has previously won Technical Innovation Award at Shell Eco-marathon Asia in 2010, 6th overall position in UC Gasoline Category 2011, and 9thoverall position in UC Gasoline Category 2012.

The PNEC team, with their car Gallant, a revolutionary battery electric prototype vehicle, made to the tracks where it recorded a personal best 103 km/kWh mileage, and stood 12th in the Battery Electric Category. The vehicle is equipped with a newly introduced gear-shifting mechanism, a ground-breaking achievement in boosting energy preservation and fuel efficiency. The team also finished 2nd in the Technical Innovation Award category with its gear-shifting mechanism, attracting praise and recognition from the event judges. Team PNEC NUST has been one of the pioneer teams of Shell Eco-marathon Asia, with its vehicles featuring in the competition consistently since 2009. It has won the Communication Award twice, and has also been the recipient of the Technical Innovation Award once. Team Eco-motive from SMME also pitched in with their prototype car Whisper, and won the Perseverance & Spirit of the Event Award amidst loud cheers from the crowd.

Nustians have a history of rising to challenges, particularly when it comes to innovative solutions and showcasing technical prowess, its most recent manifestation being the achievements NUST teams garnered at the event.

Lt Gen Naweed Zaman, HI, (M), (Retd), Rector NUST, on behalf of the entire university, has extended his heartiest felicitations to the three teams for their respective accomplishments. He has eulogized them for their innovative projects with a hope that they would rise to better positions in future. “We at NUST are proud of our students for raising the Pakistani flag high at international platforms.

Published in Daily Times, March 31^st 2018.