The Perodua Eco-Challenge (PEC) is one of the more interesting CSR programmes around. Now in its third year, PEC challenges universities and polytechnics to produce the most fuel efficient “concept car”. The main objective is to challenge the engineering capabilities of undergraduates and to breed innovation and creativity among them. And as we’ve seen from last year’s event, the results can be very impressive.
Perodua Eco-Challenge 2011 will happen on June 25 at the Melaka International Motorsports Circuit. The venue of the finals may be the same, but this year’s PEC is a much tougher challenge for the students. The main change is that teams are now only given an engine (660 cc three-cylinder) and a gearbox (five-speed manual), as opposed to a full car last year.
This means that teams will have to construct a chassis and shell for the car, instead of just stripping and modifying Vivas. Because of this extra work, the seed money given to each team by Perodua has increased from last year’s RM10,000 to RM17,500.
Because of this new ruling, the machines we will see at MIMC next month will come in various shapes, sizes and configurations – UKM is working on a mid engined, rear driven car, for instance. They will also be given less fuel. Last year, teams extracted the most out of a litre of petrol; this year, they will do so with half the amount (0.5-litre) of Petronas Primax 95 Xtra.
The entry list this year has grown to 14 teams, including a Perodua in-house R&D team that won’t be eligible for prizes. Speaking of prizes, the longest distance winning team will take home RM20,000, first runner up RM10,000 and third place RM5,000. The “Engineering” category has a RM30k pot to be won, while the “Design/Participation” category offers RM9,000 up for grabs.
At a progress update event this afternoon, the selected reps of the participating universities didn’t reveal too much of their “trade secrets”, but the Perodua team (which has nothing to lose, or rather nothing to win) shared their project targets as well as the shape of their car, which you can see from the image above. Can any student team beat this 70 km/l benchmark? We’ll have to wait. At present, many of the teams are in the phase of manufacturing the components and testing the car.
The entry list consists of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Spanish Institute, Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah (based in Tg Malim, so they will be testing in Proton’s facilities!), Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Universiti Sains Malaysia (2010 A/T winners), Universiti Teknologi Mara, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (2010 M/T winners), Universiti Industri Selangor, Politeknik Ungku Omar, Politeknik Port Dickson, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka.
All the best to the participating teams – see you in Melaka!
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
no politeknik sultan mizan again? aisehmen
PUO….haha..I likesss…
this is some sort of Formula SAE…
good for Masters and Undergraduate projects…
neh… formula SAE clones in msia are EIMA Race and Formula Varsity… Eco Challenge is to save fuel… not burn them.
go UiTM!:)
Good luck Mr Ramlan Kasiran….Go ARTEC FKM-UiTM!!!
what about otomotif college TOC?shouldn’t it be included since it’s an automotive institute?
Hopefully Prof Horizon will lead USM to victory once again!
Last year, i heard USM modified the block & only used 1 cylinder..that’s why they won..
as much as i support usm and not taking away the victory from us, i still think the approach usm deploy does not really suit real world application. ain’t challenges like this is done to hopefully find a viable solution to improve real world automotive efficiency?
btw, unisel, enough already… dun keep the bad blood by mentioning the penalty you got for driving too slow which causes u the automatic champion everywhere u go in every competition!
i thinks…….from the result we get on PEC 2011, whos the bad blood now?…….
its UNISEL or USM…………..standard engine vs 0ne cylinder engine…….you think about it…………..
UNITEN – Generates professionals!
Lead with impact Dr. Zamry!
huhu.. this year UniKL MFI need to pass to UniKL MSI for taking the challenge this year… hope they will succeed it….
Just wait for Unikl-MSI roars!!!!
UnikL..Where Knowledge is Applied..
What’s a UnikL MSI speciality?? I thought unikl MFI..
First time heard bout MSI….
Saw the unikl MSI testing their car on night recently. look like they do a tuning on the engine management.
you can easily win if you copy any toyota design, and say its your creation and idea..easy =p
Where is UM in competitions like this? Too busy with campus election fighting the opposition i guess.
Being a UM graduate in early 2000s, sometimes i feel ashamed with the quality of UM engineering school nowadays. But thats a story for another day.
dont simply judge things with no strong prove. we ourself try to tke part but maybe lack of funds from organizer dat mke our application failed.
this no place for liberalization thinker.
Dude.
Your english is horrible.
Unfortunately that’s the quality of UM students and graduates nowadays.
Refresh my memory will you? Which part of my message did i judge? It was an observation after having spent 4 years in UM.
By the way, its proof. NOT PROVE!!!.
wait until u see our car-totally different from SAE spec
go go..uitm!!
Go UTP Go! my uni!
HAiya.. All aluminium panel?
HAve u ever work with Aluminium? Got some experience with Lot Of Trouble Usually Serious Car…
DOHC Camlobe can be modified – agreed
40: 60 weight distribution? relocate engine to the back? WTF P2 guys? Opss sorry u guys do not know how to develop a car… SORRY AGAIN P2 Engineers…. You do not know how to make cars…
so u are smarter enough.. why don’t u send your proposal and join their team..cakap lebih~
maybe u are right…then, why dont u work with perodua??? show your talent..in engineering, we talk with something to show about , to prove..if just talk, but no action in your effort, just forget it…
All alumini structure la Dol. Bukannya all aluminium panel. Dol! Panel, pakai fibre sudah. Baru la ringan. Dus!
With all those raw comments, i guess you are not in engineering background.
If i’m wrong, you are proving your tertiary education an epic waste.
To add grievance, your English sucks.
UTM~~go3!!!we r the best~~!come on every department!:D