A 33-member team of students, Team Agraganya, from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering of School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus, competed in the ‘Electric Only’ category of Formula Hybrid 2018 hosted by the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth, USA, from April 30 to May 3, 2018.

Each participant prototype was tested on four grounds to decide on the winner: acceleration, braking, endurance and autocross. The event was held at the New Hampshire Speedway, known for hosting the Nascar cup series race each year.

Building on an idea passed on by their seniors, Team Agraganya members’ passion towards the initiative saw them complete the prototype in less than six months. Components like the motor and batteries were imported, while the students designed the electrical circuits and assembled the rest of the components.

Developed at a cost of less than Rs. 6 lakh, the one-seater prototype is powered by a 100AH battery and a single electric motor which produces a maximum power of 16KW and peak torque of 30Nm. However, the team had to incur an expense of over Rs.3 lakh for shipping their prototype to participate in the event. Naina Musthafa, Team Lead, Team Agraganya, said that they were able to get some private sponsorship and help from the college authorities, but the majority of the cost was split among the team members.

“Due to an error in the battery management system, we couldn’t finish all the four stages to get a real shot at winning the category. But we will definitely build on the prototype with advancing technologies and try to win next year,” said Naina.