For almost 30 years, the Cal Super Mileage Vehicle team has given Berkeley students the opportunity to develop their skills in an ambitious,hands on, team driven environment that provides a unique focus on energy technology, sustainability, and having a tangible positive impact on society and the environment. The Shell Eco-Marathon provides an arena where success is not based on reaching the finish line first, but by getting there expending the least amount of energy.  

 The competition has two categories: prototype, for track-only vehicles where the sole focus is energy efficiency, and urban concept, where vehicles are must also be able to meet function and safety standards required for the street legal consumer car market. Multiple propulsion types are allowed, including internal combustion, hybrid,fuel cell, and full electric.

The team's primary focus for the last several years has been its fuel injected, internal combustion prototype. The design process included CAD based 3D modeling and FEA simulations. With the indispensable help from UC Berkeley's Mechanical Engineering Department Student Machine Shop, we were able to incorporate a vast array of technologies into our build process, including:

• Traditional machining techniques, such as milling and lathing
• CNC milling
• Water jetting
• 3D printing
• Laser cutting

In order to step up productivity, we also decided to design and build our own CNC router to create molds that allowed all carbon fiber and fiber glass body fabrication processes to be brought in-house. 

All engine modification and tuning processes were also performed in-house.

The team has also initiated the design process for a fully electric Urban Concept. The vehicle will be powered by lithium ion batteries that will provide power to brush-less ac motors, all integrated into a road safe, street legal vehicle. This concept has provided a far greater level of design challenges, including:

• Motor control fabrication and programming
• Battery management systems and layout design
• Structural safety chassis features
• Enhanced drive by wire steering and suspension design
• User interface development
• Ergonomics, aerodynamics, and aesthetics
• Systems integration

For 2016, the team succeeded in completing and successfully competing in the Eco-Challenge with our internal combustion prototype, and look forward to continually improving its design, as well as making our urban concept a reality.