USC teams design green go-karts for Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2016

WHO wouldn’t want a car that can travel vast distances using minimal fuel? With the Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2016, students from around the world are challenged to raise energy efficiency to a higher level by competing with one another in the designing, manufacturing and testing of fuel-efficient “green” go-karts.

Two teams from the University of San Carlos, Team Lahutay 4 and Team HandosSugbo 2, will represent Cebu in the competition that will be held from March 3 to 6 in Metro Manila.

The pioneering Team Lahutay 4 will compete under the Diesel Prototype category, while HandosSugbo 2 will compete under the Gasoline Prototype category.

The Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2016 aims to develop or fabricate ultra-efficient prototype and urban concept cars with the least fuel consumption. The car that runs the farthest in terms of kilometers per liter with the least fuel consumption wins.

To jumpstart the event, organizers held the “Shell Mobility Week 2016” at the university from Jan. 11 to 15. Apart from a motorcade around the campus, activities included Miniature Car Making, Miniature Car Races, and the Goldberg Machine-making Competition.

Being the pioneer team from Cebu, Team Lahutay has participated in the competition since 2012 in Malaysia. Every year, the team members create different car designs for the competition but with more improvements based on what they have learned from the previous contests.

With Team Adviser Dr. Edwin A. Carcasona, Team Lahutay 4 is composed of the following upper level BS Mechanical Engineering students: Team Manager Honey Van Mae Gaviola, Team Driver: Jeruel Zerda, and Team Members Mikkel Wilkinson Yang, Alejandre Quiñones, Kerstein Kylle Despi, Reinald Vince Aviles, Francis Lobitaña, Spencer Ling, Ralph Adrian Longakit, Cyril Vincent Sasuman, Chong Min Park, and Bonifacio Cabasag. (Catherine Zeta Bayang and Caryl Louise Manayon, USJ-R Communication Interns)