Seven mechanical engineering students in Punjab have independently developed a new concept car capable of running for 250 kilometres on a single litre of ordinary 91 octane petrol. The vehicle has been selected for the World Super Mileage Event organised by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) International in Michigan this June. Built at the privately-run Rayat Institute of Engineering and fleshed out at a total project cost of Rs 21,32,000, the “Rayat Super Mileage Vehicle” was unveiled by its young makers in Chandigarh on Thursday.
Standing on three slim wheels, the RSMV is powered by a mere 92cc engine supplied to all contestants by Briggs & Stratton of the US, and has been equipped with a transistor-controlled ignition, disc brakes, a modified carburettor, a unique new battery recharge system and a centrifugal clutch design. Its ultra-lightweight, aerodynamic body is constructed with Kevlar and fibre stretched over a special grade (6063 T6) aluminium frame.
The seven boys — Gaurav Aggarwal, Mayank Tyagi, Bhavuk Makkar, Arun Salaria, Rahul Kumar, Ramandeep Singh and Navneet Kumar — deployed state-of-the-art computer-aided designing software to conjure up their shining, aircraft-like creation over just six months. On June 5 and 6, the team will run their vehicle against those from some 35 other countries at the Eaton Proving Grounds in Marshal, Michigan.