Despite Hurdles, AUC’S Hybrid Race Team Wins Two Awards

BY: SOFIA IBRAHIM BEHAIRY
@sophielbehiry

AUC’s Mechanical Engineering (MENG) team received an award for the “Best Car Graphics Design” and won third place in the Hybrid Race Competition that took place in Soma Bay, Hurgahada two weeks ago.

In previous years, some MENG students built hybrid race cars for their thesis projects. But this year marked the first time that the AUC team competes domestically with other local universities whose teams have won such tournaments before.

“We were leading the race for more than one-hour-and-a-half in a big competition with Ain Shams and South Valley universities,” said Mohamed Aly, a mechanical engineering professor and the advisor of AUC’s Hybrid Racing Team.

“We kept changing positions between first and third place,” he added.

The team is comprised of seven MENG, one Electronics, and two Architecture students. The Electronics student was absent during the competition, and this caused some complications as the team found themselves having to deal with a number of electric obstacles in the first race.

“But the team managed to overcome these hurdles,” Aly said, “and we won third place which is a good achievement. I am pretty happy with our students’ performance.”

Team captain Youssef Eskaros said that the whole team was very cooperative despite being a small contingent compared to the other universities participating in the competition.

“The race competition was a very thrilling experience like the Formula One. Everyone on the team was very responsible and devoted,” said Omar Gaballah, one of the MENG team members

“We learned a lot about the practical aspect of the car, which was something we didn’t learn in our courses. We knew more about the battery and the motor of the car,” said Eskaros

He added that the feedback they received from their advisor during the race was tantamount to winning “another prize”.

The next step for the aspiring AUC team is to compete at the Abu Dhabi regional Global Hybrid Electric Challenge.

“We have sent our proposals [for sponsorship] and we’re waiting for funds to compete regionally,” said Gaballah.

So far, however, they failed to attract the interest of any sponsors.

Eskaros told The Caravan that the team also contacted the Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at AUC.

“They claimed that they’re short on budget but will try to help,” he continued.

He also mentioned that the only funds that the team has is EGP 20,000 from the Student Union.

Gaballah said that the team will go on and compete in other competitions as soon as they get funds.

“We’re not giving up.”