The students of Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, here have bagged the Circular Economy Award at Shell Eco-marathon Asia competition to become the first team from India to bag the prestigious laurel.
Team Pravega, a group of 15 mechanical engineering students led by final-year student Abhinav P. Sekhar, was chosen for the recognition for their innovative idea of incorporating bamboo as a building material for vehicles.
The marathon is aimed at evolving designs for ultra fuel-efficient vehicles in various categories.
The same team had participated in the regional-level contest of the marathon last year in the prototype IC engine category with 180km/l mileage and made it to the top 120 teams at the Asia level. Their core concept is the use of bamboo composite for vehicle body and bamboo for structural parts, making the car an eco-friendly one.
While the on-track event scheduled to be held in Malaysia was called off amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the off-track awards were decided on the basis of the work of the teams that made it to the final round. Team Pravega was in the process of upgrading their vehicle to a battery-powered one. The winning team will receive a cash award of $3,000.
