Saskatchewan Polytechnic continued to work on two cars entered in the 2022 Shell Eco-marathon Americas and this week two of their energy efficient cars built out of recyclable materials finished in top spots on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The students were taking part in one of the world’s leading energy-efficiency competitions. With a result of 811 mpg U-S, Sask Polytech earned a first-place finish in the urban concept category. Sask Polytech earned a third-place finish in the prototype category, with a result of 292.8 mi/kWh (miles per kilowatthour) per litre fuel efficiency. The goal of the competition is designing vehicles that will travel using as little energy as possible.

Some of the highlights of the design features of the urban concept car was the 35 cc ice auger engine with a custom fuel injection system and a steering wheel made of flax fibre while the body was 3D printed using recyclable materials. The prototype car is an ultra-efficient, lightweight vehicle designed for fuel economy. Sask Polytech’s prototype car is electric, with a 3D printed body.

The college says their team’s urban concept car also placed second in the Drivers World Championship regional competition, which qualified them to compete at the Shell Eco-marathon Drivers’ World Championship Grand Final in India this October.