EcoCar team leader Balazs Gyenes gives a reporter a tour of the team's vehicle before departing to an international competition.
Edmonton-A team of engineering students from the University of Alberta is defending its title at an international competition for clean car technology.
The U of A Eco Car team won first place in the hydrogen-cell urban concept category of the Shell Eco-marathon Americas competition last year. The team designed and built a zero-emissions car that achieved the equivalent of 618 mpg (0.1 L/100 km).
The team is hoping to do even better at this year's competition, being held in Detroit, Michigan. Although the vehicle's chassis remains the same, the engine has changed dramatically.
Team leader Balazs Gyenes, who is in his final year of engineering physics, says the team doubled the size of its hydrogen fuel cell this year in order to become even more efficient. Even through the battery size adds weight, the reasoning for the increase in power is sound. A battery running at near full capacity isn't as efficient as one running at a lower percentage of its full power.
"Fuel cells get less efficient as you get closer to their maximum power and we're hoping that, because we'll be running at a lower power relative to our maximum power, we'll be more efficient," he explained. "We think the lower percentage will offset the increased weight."
And although making time to work on student vehicle project such as Eco Car means less time for studies, team members say there are definite benefits to being on such teams.
"It is really valuable experience," said Alex Janusz, a third-year engineering student in the mechanical engineering (co-op) program. "It goes over really well in job interviews. I've brought printed circuit boards that we have designed into interviews with me."
"There is no class that gives you this kind of experience," added engineering physics student Mikel Gomes. "When you're working on the car you're learning a lot of stuff-some things that you just have to learn on your own."
The vehicle's top speed is 35 - 40 km/h. But the team is judged not only on the energy efficiency of its car-judges also look at overall design. The urban concept category requires teams to design and build a car that looks like a consumer product-like something someone would actually want to buy. The vehicle has rear-view mirrors, brake lights and signal lights.
The 2015 competition runs running April 9 - 12. Keep track of the U of A team by following their blog posts, follow them online at @UofAEcoCar or like their University of Alberta EcoCar Team facebook page.