A  group of engineering students from Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, has developed an electric vehicle prototype. The team, named Pravega, comprises 26 mechanical engineering students from all four years of study. 

The vehicle is a tear-drop-shaped three-wheeler weighing 100 kilograms. The team plans to take it to Indonesia to participate in the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia Pacific and Middle East, starting on July 4. The state government has agreed to bear the vehicle’s transportation cost. Minister for Higher Education, R Bindu, unveiled the electric car on the college premises.  

The Pravega team is a tradition in the college, initiated eight years ago and passed on to subsequent batches for modifications. 

This year, the team focused on building a lightweight and sustainable electric vehicle prototype, said Joshwin T Rajan, the team leader this year. 

He, along with other final-year students – B Pranav, Prahlad Vivek, Sooraj S and R B Yadukrishnan, will represent the team at the hyper fuel-efficiency competition. The vehicle is constructed using biodegradable bamboo composites and is powered by electricity. The team aimed to reduce the vehicle’s carbon footprint while emphasizing organic and eco-friendly features. The staff advisor, Gopakumar S, mentioned the use of cutting-edge technology for fuel efficiency, speed control, and safety. 

The vehicle is equipped with three ultrawide cameras that track the driver’s vitals and monitor the race track. It also features an AI-enabled system that can detect and warn the driver of drowsiness. The custom-built Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) provides high efficiency.   

The development of the vehicle received financial support through sponsorships from the Motor Vehicle Department of Kerala’s E-Mobility promotion scheme. The team also launched a mobile application for iOS and Android to create a community among universities participating in the competition.