MIT’s SolarMobil team bags first prize at QuEST Ingenium

Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 16 Sep 2015: Engineering students of Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal University came up with yet another great performance when the solar car invented by Team SolarMobil was awarded the first prize at the QuEST Ingenium 2015 at Bengaluru on Tuesday September 15.

 

It was a tremendous achievement considering the fact that the team emerged the best from 5794 entries across the country. This event was organized by QuEST Global and co-sponsored by Airbus, Qatar Airways, Aequs and ANSYS.

 

 

 

 

Team Solar Mobil was among the top 10 on September 14. ‘That came as a big surprise to us,’ said faculty coordinator, Umananda K V of Aeronautics and Automobile department. The team got prize money of Rs one lac and three of them have been assured a visit to Airbus in Germany. Twenty students made the car. It is a two-seater passenger vehicle called “SERve” – Solar Electric Road Vehicle with provision for two additional seats.

 

‘Manipal University and MIT have supported us in making this dream car become a reality. It was manufactured in house. I have seen them toil to complete it. They used to work late into night and sometimes into the wee hours of the next day. All of them were enthusiastic. Even Tata solar has supported us with the solar panel. We are now planning to have a geared car,’ Umananda said.

 

The car took almost two years to be completed and cost about Rs 15 lac. Twenty seven students drawn from different disciplines built the car. Darshan Mehta, a third year Mechanical student said, “It was very exciting experience. I also feel we will need to take it to the next level. And for that we need support from industries. The team aims to build solar vehicles for a clean future and abide by its motto of ‘Imagineering the future’.