User:Tulio17/Cambridge University Eco Racing

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Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) is a student-run team which designs, builds and races solar electric vehicles. Founded in 2007, it has already built a prototype vehicle, Affinity, which became the first solar-powered car to drive legally on UK roads. The team is now working on a second generation vehicle to compete in the 2009 World Solar Challenge.

About CUER
CUER is based in the University's Department of Engineering and comprises around 100 undergraduate members from several departments of Cambridge University. As well as having a large student body, the team is strongly supported by a number of academic and industrial advisers, some of whom supervise research projects in relevant fields.

The team was founded in 2007 by Martin McBrien, inspired by the solar car team at MIT. Its first vehicle, Affinity, was designed and constructed in early 2008 and was used as a prototype and display vehicle rather than for serious competition. In June 2008, Affinity was driven from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise awareness of sustainable energy. As part of the End to End venture, it was endorsed by the DVLA to legally drive on UK roads, and became the first such vehicle to qualify.

In July 2008, work began on the second generation CUER vehicle, codenamed Bethany.

Competition
As a new team, CUER has not yet competed in any solar racing events. However, the second generation vehicle is expected to be entered into the 2009 World Solar Challenge. Although this is a biannual event, there are several other major competitions which the team may enter in future, including the North American Solar Challenge and the South African Solar Challenge.

CUER intended to compete in the Zero Rally Africa in January 2009 however this contest was subsequently cancelled.

Vehicles
Affinity

Affinity is CUER's first vehicle, built as a prototype and based on a shape taken from MIT's Manta GT.

Dimensions: 2 x 1 x 5 m

Cruising speed: 30mph

Top speed: 50mph

Weight: 250kg

Chassis: Steel

Array Power: 1kW

Motor Efficiency: 80%

CdA: 0.19

Bethany

The second generation vehicle, designed and built to compete in the World Solar Challenge. As yet very little technical data on this vehicle are available.

Dimensions: 1.8 x 1 x 5m

Cruising speed: >55mph

Top speed: -

Weight: <200kg

Chassis: -

Array Power: >1.2kW

Motor Efficiency: 90%+

CdA: <0.12

CUER in the Media
The team has been featured in a wide range of local, national and international media:

Publications

Varsity: "Cambridge Abroad", A. McNally, Dec 2008, p34

BlueSci: "Going Solar: Cambridge University Takes on the Solar Car Challenge", Jan 2009 p21

The Sun

York Press

Cambridge Evening News

Yorkshire Post

Websites

Financial Times Online 4Car

HP.com

East of England International

BBC Cambridgeshire

Microsoft Office Blog

Sustainability: The Journal of Record

Silicon.com

TheGreenCarWebsite.com

Physorg.com

Cambridge Network

Virgin Media

The Engineer Online

Business Weekly

Radio

BBC Radio York

BBC Radio Scotland

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: Breakfast Show, 18th June 2008

Television

BBC Look East

ITV Anglian News

Conferences

CUER regularly attends industry conferences. They have been represented at the Raymond James’ 4th Annual European Investors North American Equities Conference, and the Exhibition of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Hethel Engineering Centre and Marketforce’s ‘Renewables 2008’. CUER also exhibited in Cambridge at the ARM Partner Meeting, Cambridge Climate’s ‘Entrepreneurship for a Zero-Carbon Society’ conference and CIR’s ‘Solar Smart HEAT’ event.

Further afield, CUER exhibited amongst the Europe’s top 100 Cleantech companies at the Guardian/Library House Essential Cleantech conference, and presented at ‘Commercialising Photovoltaics’ organised by Renewables East.

Outreach
Cambridge University Eco Racing runs many outreach events at local schools.