THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In innovative race car designed by Team Cavallo, an automotive club of Marian Engineering College, Kazhakoottam, is grabbing attention.The team is all set to take part in the Go-Karting Design Competition organised by the Indian Society of New Era Engineers in Bangalore next week and many upcoming national and international go-kart championships.
Team Cavallo had a tough time over the past two years due to Covid. The pandemic derailed their plans to design the electric go-kart. They achieved it and went on to make it big against heavyweights at the Indian Kart Racing in January.
“It all started three years ago when a group of students of Marian Automotive Club from the mechanical engineering department came up with a proposal to build a race car. We were very sceptical about the project because of the funding involved. But the students were very determined and also ready to chip in small amounts. The team took part in two national events and won prizes. We were surprised by the recognition the car brought for our college and students,” said faculty coordinator Manu Mohan.
“The project has brought in a lot of change to the campus and students stay back after academic hours to be part of this project,” he added.
Adding another feather in the cap, the electric go-kart project has got funding under AICTE Spices Scheme for the current academic year. In addition, ANERT has sanctioned `11.9 lakh to develop improved cooling technology for batteries in go-karts.
The electric go-kart which weighs around 160kg was made at a cost of `2.5 lakh.Team Cavallo captain Rithik Lal said: “Being a student, to be part of this was an enriching experience for me. We all could apply what we learned from textbooks. The practical knowledge I gained is something valuable which would stay with me for life. Many of us have become more confident and I’m sure this is going to help us find jobs once we pass out.”
The involvement of female students is one of the things that make the initiative stand out.“I applied for the female driver post when the automotive club invited new members to the club. But every member of the club, irrespective of gender, was equally involved in the entire process of making the electric go-kart. It was an empowering experience for me and responsibilities were shared equally,” said Bhagyalakshmi R, a member of the club and a third-year engineering student.
Sanctioned by ANERT to develop improved cooling technology for batteries in go-karts. The project also got funding under AICTE Spices Scheme for the current academic year. The electric go-kart which weighs around 160kg was made at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh. The team of students of Marian Automotive Club took part in two national events and won prizes.