Minister for Science and Innovation sits in Imperial’s electric cart - <em>News</em>

Monday 30 April 2007
By Naomi Weston

The first prototype of Imperial College London’s Racing Green Cart was on show last Wednesday (25 April) at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ parliamentary reception on innovation in engineering.

A group of students and staff attended the reception to showcase their energy efficient electric cart, part of the Racing Green project to design, build and race a zero-emission electric hybrid fuel cell racing car. Malcolm Wicks, Minister for Science and Innovation, attended the event and sat in the Imperial racing cart.

Dr Gregory Offer of the Department of Materials & Earth Science Engineering and part of the team running Racing Green, was there to introduce the project. He says: "Imperial Racing Green provides an amazing opportunity to test cutting edge research developed at Imperial College London and integrating this into undergraduate teaching really gives the students a chance to get involved in what Imperial does best and be proud of their university."

The reception brought together professional engineers and MPs to learn how cutting-edge engineering innovations could help meet the policy goals of combating climate change, driving the UK’s economy and improving people’s quality of life.

Imperial Racing Green brings together students from across the Faculty of Engineering and the team is currently preparing to race in the new Formula Zero Championships which will begin in the summer of 2008. Formula Zero promotes zero emissions technologies through racing with fuel cell powered cars.

In addition, the prototype will be showcased at the Formula Student event in Silverstone this July. Formula Student promotes careers and excellence in engineering, by challenging university students to design, build, develop, market and compete as a team with a small single seater racing car.

Raha Ram, Mechanical Engineering undergraduate, is part of the student team working on the cart. She says: "I became involved with Racing Green as part of my 3rd year group project. It appealed to me greatly since it combined structural design with sustainable technology, as well as posing a managerial challenge of working on a multi-disciplinary project."

The Racing Green team are part of the Envision project, in the Faculty of Engineering at the College, which aims to build on the Faculty's already excellent international reputation to improve and develop the staff and student experience and set a benchmark for excellence in engineering education across the world.

For more information please visit the Racing Green website: www.imperial.ac.uk/racinggreen