Shell Eco-Stallion
Paper-based AUS entry to compete in the Eco Marathon in Malaysia
By Imthishan Giado
If there’s one thing the UAE is not short on, it’s ambition. From the Palm to the Burj Khalifa, if there’s a will there’s a way – and here’s another brilliant example. A group of six talented students from the American University of Sharjah have constructed this, the Eco-Stallion, to compete in the Eco Marathon in Asia in July.
Don’t be fooled by the spindly looks – this isn’t some sort of glorified electric bicycle but a real working automobile, powered by a diesel motor. Albeit one made from paper!
That’s right, the bodywork of Eco-Stallion is constructed from 35 sheets of paper compressed and glued together – the paper being the type used in packaging cartons, and having been recycled three times already.
“The paper is only used for non-load bearing parts of the body,” says Mughees Khan, team leader for the project. “The chassis is constructed from regular lightweight aluminium. We had to come up with a new kind of glue that holds the paper and would be both strong and stiff enough.”
Normally in these types of competitions, the body is built by fibreglass which is cheap, or carbon fibre, which is not. The paper body weighs about 5.5kg, while a carbonfibre one would weigh about half that – but at AED55,000 is hugely more expensive than the AED500 required for the paper one.
The car weighs 85kg; with a driver it’ll weight 140kg, Khan explains. The Eco Marathon challenge is to go as far as possible, on as little fuel as possible. Under the hood – well, actually the tail – is a German-made Hatz 243cc single-cylinder diesel engine that produces 4.8bhp and drives the sole rear wheel through a bicycle-style, locally-made transmission. The tyres are also special-order item from Germany, while the brakes are bike-style four-wheel discs. Suspension? Not required, so not installed.
“The maximum speed we can achieve is 80kph, but this is not required by the competition”, says Khan. “The requirement is 35kph; the idea is to accelerate, then switch off the engine and glide.”
“The current Asian record is 360km per litre of diesel, we’re hoping to better that.”
The paper construction may have some wondering about safety. In fact, the rules of the competition do not explicitly state the need for a body – it’s an optional aerodynamic extra. However, safety is still paramount, and so the Eco Stallion has a five point seatbelt, fire extinguishers and a firewall between the tiny engine and the driver.
The team departs in July for the Eco Marathon in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Before they can compete, they have to complete a number of inspections – only then will it be allowed to participate in the major challenge.
