Prototype of an Electrathon Race Car

Electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent as the need for green and eco-friendly vehicles increases. The project team, with advisor Professor Jamie McIntyre, will take on the challenge of creating an electrathon (electric) race car. As part of their final year engineering project, the student team will collaborate with Inertia Engineering and Design to design the electrathon car using CAD tools. The team will focus on developing an efficient and powerful powertrain and use the Pro Engineering application to accurately size the car and test its structure using finite element analysis. The electrathon car will be designed with two wheels in the front and one wheel in the rear. The rear wheel will be powered by a DC brushless electric motor. Another key aspect of the design will be the regenerative breaking, which will require considerable research and consultation to ensure a high ratio of input energy to the axles (input) and drive it to an alternator (output). The technology will assist with the electrical use from the batteries to prolong total usage of driving time before a charge is necessary. The results of the project will provide Inertia Engineering and Design the opportunity to further explore and incorporate electrathon cars, specifically the electric powertrain and regenerative braking platforms into new design projects.