1. www.bharattimes.com 3LocalLocalBharat Times, August 2015
Showcasing India’s prowess in engineer-
ing, as the first Indian team to take part in
the international World Solar Challenge
2015, the RVCE Solar Car Team, Banga-
lore, is an entirely student-run group that
designs and builds solar electric vehicles.
The team is made up of
students from RV Col-
lege of Engineering in
Bangalore and their
primary objective “is
to help promote re-
search and develop-
ment in emerging
solar technology, and
its use in various ap-
plications”, told Lalit
Kumar, talking exclu-
sively to Bharat Times
from Bangalore.
The annual event since
30 years will be con-
ducted in Australia
in October this year,
will have teams from universities across the
world participating.
The event is an endurance race, from Dar-
win to Adelaide, and each team will need
to cover the 3000 km in 8 days – from Oct
18-24. Considered to be a very challenging
and adventurous race, “we’re looking for-
ward to have a memorable experience”.
Lalit who is an undergrad of the same col-
lege said that, “representing India gives us a
sense of immense pride.
“India being a developing country has an
enormous pressure on its energy demands,
and we as students want to make a hum-
ble effort to contribute to our nation... and
reduce the burden on the non-renewable
sources”.
“The project is also perfectly in lines with
the Make in India concept that Shri Naren-
dra Modiji is promoting”, Lalit said while
referring to India being recognized on the
world stage in the field of solar energy.
The race crew
consists of 20
highly dedicated
students with four
major divisions
separately focus-
sing on mechani-
cal division, the
electrical & elec-
tronics division,
the sponsorship
and the marketing
division.
The team has
already been
awarded the
‘Young Achievers’ award
by Wipro and
also featured
in many stories
across India.
In the manufacturing stage, they have suc-
cessfully collaborated with 30 of the World’s
leading companies for assistance in techni-
cal expertise and financial support and ex-
pects the final version of the Solar Car to be
ready by the end of this month.
While the manufacturing and assembling
of various components like the Chassis, the
Body, the Solar
Array, etc. is be-
ing facilitated
in India, some
major electronic
components are
being imported
from Japan.
“We will be air-
lifting the car
to Darwin in
the last week
of September”
Lalit revealed.
The team will
reach Darwin
on October 2,
and upon com-
pletion of the
race will leave
Adelaide on Oc-
tober 26.
“We believe
that small ini-
tiatives taken
by us as stu-
dents, will not
only add on to
our confidence
and bridge the
academia-in-
dustry gap, but
also inspire oth-
ers to follow us
and utilize the
sun’s power to
the maximum”
Lalit said like a
true believer of
the renewable
energy move-
ment.
“It will ultimately help to showcase the
youth of India and elevate India’s position
on the world stage”. - Shalini Singh
Meet the young and powerful from India
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