Tiny U of T vehicle returns from Eco-marathon

High expectations. That’s what Mengqi Wang has for the University of Toronto Supermileage Team in 2014.

“I'm very proud of this team. We faced a multitude of challenges over the last year or so, and there were times we were worried about the future of the project," said Wang. "But despite all that every member put in their utmost, and helped the team pull through to the end."

Wang is co-president of the team, which competed for the first time ever in the Shell Eco-Marathon Challenge held in Houston earlier this month, an annual competition where student teams from around the world design, build and test ultra energy-efficient vehicles.

Though the 90-pound, 1.3 horsepower U of T car – powered by a Honda leafblower motor – failed to place in the final race because of technical problems, it did achieve an impressive 626 miles per gallon in the preliminary round.

The team’s other co-president, Jonathan Hamway, said the team has come a long way since they started about 18 months ago. “It’s been mostly design work because this is the first time we’ve ever done this so we had to start from scratch.” He said working on the car gave the team members practical experience to go along with the theory they learn in their coursework. “That practical component is an essential part of an engineering education.”

Team members are already looking towards next year, Wang said. “While we're all happy to have gotten as far as we did, we're not content with the results just yet. Now that we have a better idea of what this competition truly entails, we're much better equipped than before to make an impact at next year's event. And with the dedication this team has shown, I have high expectations for our performance in future.”

Team supervisor Professor David Sinton said he was proud of the team. “They started from scratch and built a competitive team and vehicle in one year. Other groups that saw them on the track said ‘wow, and this is your first year?’ The learning curve was steep and they have an impressive preliminary mileage result which provides a benchmark for next years’ effort.”

Wang in turn thanked Sinton and the team’s other supporters in U of T Engineering. “We really couldn't have done this without them.”