The vehicle that runs 611 km on 1l of gasoline – and more inventions

Electric battery taken from bicycles, unicycles and even wheelchairs to serve as the basis for an electric car engine. PET plastic, wood and carbon fiber to cover the vehicle body. It seems like an inventor’s thing – and it is.

These are some of the solutions created by around 500 students, from schools in Brazil and Latin America, for a competition that rewards the most efficient car models, that is, those that travel the greatest distance with the least amount of fuel possible.

This year, the feat was to travel 611 kilometers with just one liter of gasoline on the track set up on the side of Piér Mauá, in the port area of ​​Rio de Janeiro. The brand was achieved by the Drop Team team, from the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS), Campus Erechim.

The result was lower than last year’s, 715 km/per liter, but the team celebrates other advances. They reduced the weight of the prototype compared to last year and started collecting data on gasoline and energy consumption tests. Previously, they were only able to measure fuel use when the car was moving, says Laisla Portella, a member of the team: “Collecting data during training helps us see where to improve. Better measurement was a crucial point. Before, we only had fuel measurements”, he says.

The Shell Eco-marathon competition has been held annually since 1985 on other continents. In Brazil, it has been occurring since 2016 (with the exception of the pandemic period), first in São Paulo and in recent years in Rio.

Norman Koch, global general manager of Shell Eco-marathon, explains that the proposal is for young people to get closer to the practice and reality of a work environment: “Here they work with pressure, budget and as a team”.

The objective is to create and develop systems, technologies and alternatives so that the car covers more kilometers with less consumption. Young people dream of having their ideas patented and getting a good job with the experience.

The dispute takes place in three fuel categories: electric, combustion (gasoline or ethanol) and green hydrogen. The models can be urban (which would be the closest to a production car) or prototype (conceptual).

The prototypes look like capsules in which the pilots – generally thin and shorter women – practically lie down during the race. In general, there are three wheels, the largest at the front and two on the sides, often made of carbon fiber, a light and resistant material.

According to the competition rules, the prototype does not need to be viable for the streets, but rather demonstrate efficiency. This is the case of the team resulting from the partnership of students from the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR) and Senai. In their marathon debut, they used an electric motor from a unicycle to equip the prototype. They didn’t win the marathon, but they left satisfied.

“Participating in a team, having to develop as a person, studying hard, managing people. It’s been a really cool challenge. Our engine is reused, it’s what we had. We did the control, electrical part and board assembly”, says Felipe Pastora, a member of the team.

The challenge in the urban vehicle category consists of, in addition to efficiency, combining characteristics of a common car, from mechanics to design. They are also incipient models, but with the idea that if they were improved they could become a real project. The expectation of participants is that the innovations tested can be, in some way, absorbed by the market.

Before presenting the model in the competition, students need to develop the project idea at their universities and schools and set up the systems. This is almost always made from scratch. It is necessary to calculate details until you adjust and become ready for the marathon. Not to mention funds, time, teamwork, as well as innovation, design and aerodynamics.

According to reports from students, the biggest challenge is precisely connecting the project phases – such as, for example, regulating the pressure, quantity of oxygen and air speed at the engine connection – and safely. An tingle and precision work, in which every adjustment counts in the final result.

It is these successes that help them to learn more about the practice and understand how cars work. Many want to work with mobility and motorsport. Being part of a Formula 1 team is a dream for many of them.

The next challenge is to transport this sample by car to the event. Last year, the battery for the electric model of the car that was to be exhibited by students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico had problems at customs and did not arrive on time.

Once the car and students arrive at the competition, their vehicles need to undergo technical inspection with Shell professionals. 11 items are evaluated, such as brakes, steering wheel, belts, engine operation, whether there is any cheating – such as stopping the meter so as not to record fuel consumption – and so on.

The sieve is rigid, explains Koch, especially because it involves security. This year, of the 41 teams registered, 30 were released to the track. When they get the go-ahead to run, the celebration echoes throughout the Pier warehouse.

Competition had two vehicles powered by “green hydrogen”

The two teams that used green hydrogen in this edition were unable to complete the race – neither the Brazilian team, which took an urban model, nor the Bolivian team, with a prototype. But they were happy to be able to pass the inspection and to be pioneers.

The Bolivian team Capitan Victor Ustariz was the first to take green hydrogen to the Brazilian competition. It was last year, but the vehicle did not pass safety tests. This year, they came back with improvements to the same prototype and managed to pass the tests.

Students from the Cataratas Energy Efficiency Group (GCEE), from Unioeste Foz do Iguaçu (PR), developed the first hydrogen-powered urban model in the Brazilian competition.

Both schools are located in centers that produce and study renewable sources, which allows them easy access to fuel. In the case of Brazil, GCEE and the university are part of the Parque Tecnológico Itaipu (PTI) conglomerate, which has a green hydrogen production plant.

Renato Graciolli is a mechanical engineer at the Hydrogen Technologies Center at PTI. He has already participated in several editions of the Eco-marathon and believes that the experience was relevant to his good position in the job market. Today, he is responsible for the hydrogen fuel cell and helps students.

“Our car is an electric vehicle, but instead of having a lithium battery, it has a hydrogen fuel cell. The benefit is environmental, as battery components are difficult to recycle. We benefit from recharging speed and autonomy”, explains the engineer.

The cell solution already exists and what the students developed was the interconnection between the mechanical part, safety and hydrogen leak sensors.

“The intelligence part of the vehicle is done by the students. We bought the laboratory cell for students, which is different from the one used on the market, and they adapt it for vehicles. The challenge is how to manage this fuel cell and integrate it with other systems to deliver greater vehicle autonomy”, he highlights.

Electric cars: creativity, transformation and material exchange

In the electric category, first place in prototype was the one developed by the E3 UFSC team, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina. They achieved a record of 381km/kWh, surpassing the 376 km/kWh mark set in 2023. To achieve this result, they modified 80% of the car taken in the previous year – improving vehicles from one year to the next is very common among the teams participating in the marathon.

The wheels, which were made of aluminum, with rims and spokes like a bicycle, were replaced by carbon fiber wheels, which are lighter, more resistant and more aerodynamic.

“This reduces the mass that each wheel has to have. It means that the wheel has to turn less and, therefore, it is easier to push”, explains the team captain, João Andrade. “We developed our wheels. There is no carbon wheel like this on the market”.

Another factor that contributed to speeding up the prototype was the new electrical system: “This part is a bit of an industrial secret. What I can say is that we changed the methods and operations from before. So, basically, the car’s brain is smarter”, says Andrade.

In urban vehicles, the Green E Car group, from UTFPR Medianeira (PR), came out on top by reaching 25km/kWh. The university also took a gasoline-powered prototype, which came in third place in the combustion fuel category.

Called Red Foot, the car is the same as last year, but with 40 kilos less and more power. “Before it was made of polycarbonate, aluminum and a lot of iron. We changed everything this time. Only the structure is made of iron (the chassis), the rest is made of fiberglass and polycarbonate”, explains Rafael Fogliarinni, a member of the team who explains what to expect next year: “We want carbon fiber because it is a much lighter board. and resistant, but the budget is more difficult”.

The journalist traveled at the invitation of Shell