The Semar Hydroz urban car participates in a design competition energy efficient vehicle in the prestigious Shell Eco Marathon 2023 to be held at Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, Kuta Mandalika, Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara from July 4-9.

This energy-saving vehicle innovation competition brought together 77 teams from 13 countries such as Indonesia with forty-seven teams, China fielded four teams, India two teams, Malaysia three teams, Philippines two teams , Qatar two teams, Saudi Arabia three teams, Singapore two teams, Thailand five teams and Vietnam three teams. Apart from that, there were also participants from Kazakhstan with two teams and each from Brunei Darussalam and South Korea with one team.

Fuel cell development coordinator for Urban Hydroz, Reynolds Widhyanurrochmansyach, who is also a class of 2020 student in UGM’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, said the Semar Urban Hydroz vehicle they are developing is powered by hydrogen which is considered to be more fuel efficient.

“This vehicle uses state-of-the-art technology to generate electricity through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell. This results in emissions of pure water as the only by-product, making it a completely emission-free and environmentally friendly vehicle,” Reynolds said in a press release quoted on the UGM website. , Thursday (6/7)

Besides the use of hydrogen fuel, the team is also carrying out intensive development to optimize the aerodynamic design of the Urban Hydroz vehicle. “The smaller the drag, the less friction the vehicle body has with the air, which can increase the efficiency of the energy used to drive the vehicle,” he said.

In addition to this, the material used is very light and strong as it uses materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum to reduce vehicle weight without sacrificing strength and safety. “These materials help increase fuel efficiency and overall vehicle performance,” he explained.

The Semar Urban Hydroz team is made up of UGM students who are very dedicated and work hard to design and build vehicles that combine future technology, are environmentally friendly and sustainable. In the fierce competition against the best teams around the world, the Semar Urban Hydroz team aims to win one of the prizes in the category of hydrogen energy efficiency.

Previously, to be able to participate in this competition, the Semar Urban Hydroz team had gone through a rigorous process of testing and simulation. They put a lot of time and effort into optimizing their vehicles for peak performance.

“We are delighted to be able to participate in the Shell Eco Marathon 2023. Our vehicles demonstrate our commitment to innovation, sustainability and the environment. We hope to make a positive contribution to the future of more environmentally friendly transportation,” said Jayan Sentanuhady as UGM Semar team supervisor.

(Win)