International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) and Maruti Suzuki (MSIL) are jointly organizing an annual intercollegiate technical event EFFI-CYCLE under the banner of SAE-Northern India Section. The competition is for undergraduate and graduate engineering students who have a passion to design a 3 wheeled, 2 seater, electric and human powered hybrid vehicle which is much more efficient and environment friendly than the contemporary fuel-driven means of transportation. This event helps budding automobile engineers to design and fabricate their models for the future. Events like SAE EFFI-CYCLE are a crucial part of the green revolution.
Since its inception in 2010 this event has grown exponentially under the guidance of I V Rao (Chairman- SAE Northern India Section). Started with 17 teams in the first season the event has broken all previous records by setting a new high of 250+ teams from over 200 colleges spread all across the country registered for this 5th season of SAE EFFI- CYCLE. These teams will go through different stages of judgment for the evaluation of their futuristic vehicle. First up are the qualifier virtual rounds to be held in June this year where participants prepare their designs prior to fabrication. These designs are supposed to be aerodynamic, ergonomically stable and safe for transport to be selected to compete in the main event.
The main event of EFFI-CYCLE is organized every year in the month of October at the lush green fields of University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), Panjab University at Chandigarh. “It is good to see a common spirit amongst students coming from all across the country to do something never done before”, says a Panjab University student who is excited to hear about the 5th season of SAE EFFI-CYCLE this year.
Throughout the main event, the EFFI-CYCLE made by the teams are judged through various tests to determine their usability, speed, braking, safety, performance etc. Based on these tests, the teams are given positions for the final race, better known as the ‘Endurance Race’. The endurance race is undoubtedly the best part of the whole EFFI-CYCLE journey. Teams give everything they have, switching between battery and manual operation of their vehicle to finding the best possible way to overtake the winner for winning the much coveted trophy of the green revolution.
Though the journey of EFFI-CYCLE ends with the endurance race and the award distribution but the success of such an event is determined by the number of individuals it has inspired in its course. Over the years SAE Northern India Section has seen some tough competition and potential models of a futuristic vehicle.
The models developed by the participants gain industrial exposure through representatives of automobile companies. The event also gains the attention of the Research & Development cells of leading automobile industries that are looking for hybrid, fuel-efficient vehicular concepts in this era of fuel scarcity. The venue is visited by representatives of automobile R&D and manufacturing companies and from there it is the students who have to impress them with their models.
“Green engineering is still a new concept which needs active participation and interest to prosper. It is the need of the hour nevertheless but also requires a lot of time and innovation to make it a part of our ordinary lives” says U D Bhangale, Senior General Manager, -ICAT and Convener-EFFI-CYCLE 2014.
