The B.Tech Marine Engineering Cadets were interested in developing an Electric Vehicle for the Chennai Campus
The plan was to develop an indigenous electric vehicle that will serve the Green Campus of Indian Maritime University in Chennai. Using an EV for commuting will aid in both the conservation of university resources and the provision of a convenient mode of transportation.
The proposal was developed in collaboration with the guiding faculty members and the Director of the Chennai Campus, and it was submitted for funding in October 2022. The proposal was approved by IMU HQ and the first phase fund was made available on 24/11/2022.
The project started in December 2022 and consisted of five stages. The vehicle design was validated in the initial step using AUTOCAD software. In stage 2, materials and components for vehicle construction were purchased.
The differentials, suspension, and battery were installed first, followed by the fabrication of the body, electrical connections, and mountings. The final step of development involved test runs, troubleshooting, and debugging. The vehicle is now ready to operate on Semmencherry Premises with a pay load of around 1000 kg. The vehicle can run for 4 hours on full charge and has a maximum speed of roughly 40 kmph.
During the fabrication, 30 B.Tech (ME) Cadets were involved, with 8 core members designing the essential specs. Their enthusiastic participation and hard work helped in the completion of the first phase of the project in around 7 months.
The approximate cost of the first phase of EV is Rs.6,00,000/-. The dedicated work of the Cadets was really outstanding starting from the acquisition of raw materials till the road-trail of the EV.
The EV was given the name MINSARA MEEN' by our PRO-VC, and on July 12, 2023, our honourable vice chancellor madam officially opened it and dedicated it to the campus. By graciously attending, the Pro-VC Registrar, CoE, and FO, along with SMET Cadets and teachers, honoured the programme.
The Vice Chancellor Madam praised the Cadets and Team for finishing the assignment and gave the team members the "Certificate of Excellence."
