Shell Eco-Marathon Solar Car Team

#24 ME #2 EE

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The 2013-2014 FAMU-FSU Solar Car Team aims to build a solar car that conforms to the Shell Eco-Marathon challenge competition. Using mechanical, electrical, and ergonomic design, the group will build, test, and improve last year’s design for a finalized vehicle that is competition ready. The goal of this project is to complete the construction of the solar car and prepare it for the Shell-Eco Marathon competition.


About the competition:

The Shell Eco-marathon is a long standing competition, in which Shell challenges students and enthusiasts from around the world to push the envelope for energy efficient vehicle designs. The competition gives teams the opportunity to design, build, and test their vehicles in a competitive winner-take-all environment. There are several different categories to compete in depending on the source of power of the vehicle.

The competition has two classes (each with their own rules and regulations) in which teams can compete: Urban Concept and Prototype. The Urban Concept class promotes building a practical vehicle that can operate under normal road driving conditions. Alternatively, the Prototype class encourages participants to stretch the boundaries of efficiency by making ergonomic trade-offs. For both vehicle classes, competitors will use as many attempts as possible in order to see how far the vehicle can run on the equivalent of one liter of fuel. The competition requires that all vehicles have a fixed speed and number of laps. A winner will be named for each class and fuel type, with additional prizes going to teams with a strong consideration for safety, teamwork, design, and technical innovation.

Team Picture What we have completed:

  • Built upon the chassis that was left by the previous years senior design team
  • Built battery compartment
  • Added an accessory battery
  • Constructed steering column
  • Redesigned the roll bar
  • Constructed the driving seat
  • Added front and rear braking
  • Constructed fire retardant bulkheads
  • Added an emergency shut down switch
  • Installed solar panels
  • Ran wiring for all components 
  • Sanded and prepped hood for vinyl wrap
  • Built Spindles
  • Attached all steering components
  • Installed brake and throttle pedals