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Students making history with electric racing car

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Made from scratch by a highly motivated team of mechanical and electrical engineering students, supported by some business and marketing students, DibaE – the first electric racing car by an African university – will be launched by Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on Tuesday, 16 July 2013.

NMMU Racing has designed and built an electric racing car to complete in the 2013 Formula Student Competition (FSC) in Hockenheim, Germany from 30 July to 4 August; the first university on the continent to build an electric racing car of this kind and compete in this international event. DibaE was first to qualify for entry into the competition.

In 2011 NMMU also made history when DibaOne competed in the combustion sector of the international event as the first team from Africa to do so.

“DibaE is a giant leap forward from DibaOne, and includes brand new technologies such as 100KW, 450Nm Brushless-DC electric motor powered by Lithium Polymer batteries, targeting a 0-100Km/h acceleration of under 4.7seconds! Another new development is a unique aerodynamic package incorporating front and rear wings, and a Formula One style under-body diffuser to increase cornering down-force,” says NMMU Racing formula student project manager Trevor Stroud.

To enter the prestigious competition, teams from around the world undergo a rigorous online registration process consisting of a quiz that challenges both the team’s technical knowledge, and understanding of competition rules. The process required the teams to answer about 20 questions that tested technical knowledge and understanding of the competition rules.

The design of DibaE started at the end of 2011, shortly after NMMU Racing returned from the FSC event, and incorporates all the lessons learnt during the construction of DibaOne, which was the university’s first attempt at building a car.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.