IIT Bombay students’ all-electric car to race in Formula Student next month

Innovation and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) are synonymous. So, it comes as no surprise that some students of IIT Mumbai have developed an all-electric racecar – the EVo 3.0 – which is to participate in the Formula Student United Kingdom 2014 to be held from July 9-14 at the Silverstone circuit.

The car has a 72kW lithium-polymer battery, which supplies power to two DC electric motors attached to the rear wheels. That, coupled with a weight of only 250kg, helps it zip from 0-60kph in a scant 2.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 90kph. The battery being kept in the back provides for an ideal 60:40 weight distribution. Clever use of its electronic differential and its yaw rate-controlled torque vectoring system contributes to its brilliant cornering abilities. The car doesn’t come with spoilers or wings as the weight of the car offers enough mechanical traction, and doesn’t require extra (aerodynamic) downforce.

The EVo 3.0 has a maximum range of 25km at an average speed of 40-50kph. Once completely drained, the battery takes four hours to recharge. The streamlined body has been designed through extensive computer simulation to reduce as much drag as possible, and thereby increase fuel efficiency as well as performance. The car uses a fixed ratio planetary gear system as the power from the electric motor is linear and doesn’t require a traditional transmission with many gears or ratios; the new gear system complements the lightness of the racecar as well.

The main focus of the IIT Bombay Racing team this year are weight reduction, refining the reliability of the racecar, as well as improving safety. The car is built with a roll hoop to prevent injury to the driver in the event of a rollover. It uses Rohacell high-density impact attenuators instead of conventional crumble zones as on today’s road cars. The racecar also features an inertia sensor, which cuts off power in the event of a crash.

The project took the team a whole year and Rs 20 lakh to build, and they are hoping to be standing on the podium in Silverstone next month.

Partnering IIT Bombay Racing in this student programme is TE Connectivity, which has provided high-performance connectors for top-notch safety, efficiency and performance. Its AMP+ HVP 1100, used in EVo 3.0, are finger-proof, touch-safe, one-position high-current connectors and headers, designed for flexibility in hybrid electric vehicles. The AMP+ manual service disconnect is a tool-free solution for disconnecting the internal high-voltage (HV) battery pack and protecting the battery pack HV cables from short-circuiting. The product also provides safe and reliable connectivity solution to protect service technicians and emergency response teams when working with or near the HV battery and components in the EVo 3.0.

Commenting on TE Connectivity’s contribution to the project, Vishwanath S, director of Automotive, TE India, said: “TE is happy to support IIT Bombay Racing for the Formula Student UK 2014. We believe in championing the next generation of engineers and have partnered with several institutions globally to encourage and excite students about science and innovation. We are confident that IIT Bombay Racing team will make India proud, and we wish the team the best of luck for the race.”

“We are thankful for TE’s support to help us make the EVo 3.0 an extremely reliable, high-performance machine. We believe that we stand a good chance at Formula Student UK 2014,” signed off team captain Siddhesh Sakhalkar.

Photographs: The lightweight EVo 3.0 goes from 0-60kph in 2.6sec and has a top speed of 90kph; Vishwanath S, director (Automotive), TE India, with the IIT Bombay Racing team.