Kumaraguru Institutions proudly introduced its Team ReNew – the only team from India to compete in the 41st Shell Eco-Marathon – Asia Pacific under Hydrogen Fuel Cell Category, later this month in Qatar. The team has built its latest hydrogen fuel-cell prototype vehicle, with which Team Renew will face other competitors from various countries.

The official unveiling ceremony of the vehicle and introduction of Team ReNew took place on Friday at Kumaraguru Institutions Campus. The Chief Guest, Mr.Kurichi Kumar, Technical Advisor to Propel EV company along with Mr.Shankar Vanavarayar, President, Kumaraguru Institutions unveiled the vehicle.

This is the third consecutive time that Team Renew is going to compete in the prestigious Shell Eco-Marathon. This year the event is set to take place in the Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar between January 21 and 25. Team Renew consists of 14 students from Kumaraguru Institutions with the majority being students from engineering disciplines. Shobika is the driver and Aswin Karthik is the captain of Team ReNew. The whole point of this eco-marathon is to inspire innovators to come up with sustainable mobility solutions.

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Category of this marathon is all about greater mileage that could be achieved via sustainable power source. Hence, to compete in the event, the students have designed and developed a special prototype vehicle, from the scratch.

The team has taken the beak of a kingfisher as inspiration and has made the body in that shape for better aerodynamics. The vehicle has made use of basalt fibre–PVC foam composite structures, replacing conventional materials to achieve higher strength, reduced weight, and improved sustainability.

The prototype also features an advanced BLDC hub motor system, refined power-electronics system, and an optimized energy management strategy aimed at achieving a target efficiency of over 600 km/m³ of hydrogen.

The total weight of the vehicle is 45 kgs, which is 21 kgs lesser than ReNew 1.0 vehicle that was developed and used in 2024,. The basalt fibre–PVC foam composite structures delivers carbon-fibre loke strength yet is light weight. Except for the motor and fuel cell, everything is made in-house at the KCT Garage by the students. It took them 10 months. This entire project costs Rs.42 lakhs and it was shared by Kumaraguru Institutions and other sponsors that include Propel, Thirveni, CoASTT, JA Motorsport and Horizon.

Mr.Kurichi Kumar appreciated the team their strategic selection of materials for the vehicle, and appreciated them for championing sustainability. He advised them to carry this knowledge (obtained through countless hours of hard-work) beyond the race tracks and promote engineering excellence and sustainability in their professional lives.

Shankar Vanavarayar congratulated Team ReNew 3.0, and said it should also be the first Indian team to win this category. He said all at Kumaraguru Institutions, in Coimbatore and India are rooting for their success.

Speaking further he recommended them to develop new contacts while they visit Qatar, learn from them and utilize this opportunity to improve themselves. “Make Everyone Proud,” he ended.