Amount of funding awarded
$8,469.84
Budget Report
View budget report.
How the program has supported you
Zeus’ development began in 2018, when it was converted from a gasoline vehicle to battery electric. This project aims to promote sustainable transportation options, and also to provide engineering experience relevant to the automotive industry’s trajectory. The Battery Electric Urban Concept project has been an incredible learning experience with power electronics, electromechanical integration, and much more.
Support from PAF allows the team to continue to develop Zeus, a unique car in terms of design, while also supporting our two other vehicles. Some examples of developments this year include the design of a custom brushless DC motor controller, wind tunnel testing of the aerodynamics, and drivetrain improvements. PAF funding also allows us to bring this vehicle to competition, an invaluable experience for team members. Without PAF, our team would not be able to push the boundaries of efficiency and give students the most engaging experience possible.
Outcomes
The UBC Supermileage Team consists of 51 students from various engineering disciplines. Team projects are typically assigned so students get exposure to working on all three team vehicles, and can benefit from each vehicle such as Zeus. This year students got exposure to areas including motor control, batteries, and aerodynamic design. The skills developed are transferable to real-world engineering applications.
Zeus competed in the Shell Eco-marathon United States competition from April 10-13, 2022; this was the first Shell Eco-marathon competition since 2019. Thanks to the hard work of our team members, Zeus passed technical inspection and was able to make it out onto the track for the first time in the vehicle’s history. Some technical issues ended the run early, and heavy rain prevented us from attempting another run.
