IIT Bombay Racing - Pioneering India's Electric College Racing Circuit

Nestled in the heart of Mumbai is Powai, a buzzing neighborhood of high-rise buildings, corporate hubs and the prestigious IIT Bombay. IIT Bombay is a name synonymous with a lot of people not only in India but globally too. This prestigious institute has been at the forefront of engineering, science in India and is the most esteemed destination for any aspiring student who wants to venture into the world of engineering. IIT Bombay is a place reserved for the best of the best! It’s not surprising that their college racing team IIT Bombay Racing is India’s best electric Formula Student team, read on as we tell you more about them!

   

   IIT Bombay Racing was founded in 2007 by a group of like-minded engineering students who shared a few things in common – passion for cars, motorsport and wanting to apply theoretical studies into practice by designing, developing, building and competitively racing a car! IIT Bombay Racing made its debut in the world of Formula Student at Formula Student Michigan in 2008, and there has been no looking back since. IIT Bombay Racing originally started off as a combustion team participating in various domestic and international race competitions. The year 2012 was a turning point for Team IIT Bombay and marked an important landmark as they switched from combustion racing to electric racing. IIT Bombay Racing was the first college racing team from India to go electric, hence pioneering the field and sparking an electric revolution in the college motorsport domain of India. Electric mobility has seen an increase in awareness, adaption and a steady rise in demand globally ever since the beginning of the previous decade. The need and demand for an alternative to fossil fuels to power our cars across the globe has never been higher…with an aim to ‘Revolutionize Electric Mobility In India Focusing On Sustainable Technologies and Innovation’ Team IIT Bombay Racing is playing a very crucial part in India’s electric revolution by inspiring, preparing young engineers to enter the EV field. 

    The team comprises of 70 members who come from various streams of engineering, sciences at IIT Bombay. The team members are divided into 3 divisions – Electrical (Powertrain, Low Voltage Safety, Electronic Differential, Data Acquisition), Mechanical (Chassis, Aerodynamics, System Integration, Vehicle Dynamics, Powertrain) and Organizational (Marketing, Media, Operations, Events, Web and Creatives). Being a student of IIT Bombay is not easy…the studies, examinations, competition is as demanding as it gets! The fast-paced, high energy and highly dynamic nature of a race team is a very demanding environment to perform in too. The team members of IIT Bombay Racing make the art of balancing studies and being a part of India’s best electric racing team at the same time look very easy. Only bonafide students of IIT Bombay can be a part of the IIT Bombay Racing team. Recruitments for new members begin from the end of the 1^st year (freshers). A series of tests and multiple interviews later a new member is inducted into the team and assigned a department to work under basis the test results. Team IIT Bombay has a very good and efficient way of mentoring, training new inductees into the team. Team leaders and seniors play a very crucial role in training, guiding their juniors who will one day lead the team, this creates a very good bond among team members and in return leads to better productivity and success.

    IIT Bombay Racing participates in Formula Student competitions across the world. Formula Student is a student engineering competition held annually across various countries in the world, this competition challenges participating college teams to design, build, test and race a formula-style race car. Formula Student has played a very important part in getting the best out of students and a very good proving ground for the best of engineering talent to compete against each other. Being India’s first college racing team to venture into electric racing, Team IIT Bombay is also the most successful electric racing team from our country to participate in Formula Student events globally. IIT Bombay Racing primarily participates at Formula Student UK competition which is held at the world-renowned Silverstone Circuit in the UK. Formula Student UK sees participation from over 120+ universities and colleges from across the globe every year. Having produced 7 electric race cars over the past 7 years, Team IIT Bombay has seen a lot of success in Formula Student. 

   At the Formula Student UK 2019 competition stood overall 4^th amongst all-electric racing teams, 3^rd amongst all-electric teams in the sprint event. The car responsible for this electrifying performance is the EVoK. The EVoK weighs 241 kgs has a top speed of 163 km/hr and can do a 0-100 km/hr time in a lightning-quick 3.1 seconds! Some other salient features of the car are a first of its kind in India 3D printed titanium uprights, battery box made from carbon fiber and Kevlar using a resin infusion which ensures minimal weight while matching standard requirements. IIT Bombay Racing has won the Formula Student award 5 times in a row…this award is given to only 8 out of 120+ teams participating at Formula Student UK. Being a college racing team, the members of IIT Bombay Racing is responsible for raising funds through sponsorship in order to receive the funds required to participate in various competitions. Industry leaders such as NRB Bearings – India’s best manufacturer of bearings has been the title sponsor for the team since 2010 and has been playing a very critical role in the team’s development.

  

  The success story of IIT Bombay Racing is a testament to the determination, passion and tireless effort of Indian students for whom the sky is the limit. India has at its disposal a large youth population with an unlimited potential all set to take on the word and eager to contribute towards making our country proud. Indian college racing teams such as IIT Bombay Racing are the flagbearers, leaders of the Indian youth brigade making a mark on the global scale and at the same time inspiring countless others! AutoGuru India is proud to be associated with IIT Bombay Racing and we are poised to inform you of everything you would want to know about them! 

Tata Motors Finally Launches The Highly Anticipated Nexon EV SUV

Electric is the way forward, the future of mobility across the globe. Quite a few global markets have already adapted and taken well to EVs with all stakeholders keenly involved in making EVs a mainstay in their respective markets. Early EVs were very expensive in comparison to their fossil fuel counterparts making them a niche product only the rich could afford. With the improvement of battery technology, better and more efficient production systems and more car manufacturers offering EV models electric vehicles have never been more affordable. Tata Motors has launched its much-awaited Nexon EV compact SUV. The Nexon EV is a very exciting and important car for Tata Motors as it is the first EV in India which will be targeted towards the masses and will be the flag bearer for all upcoming EVs from the house of Tata Motors.

  The Nexon EV is essentially the electric variant of Tata’s popular Nexon sub-compact SUV. The sub-compact SUV segment is one of the most popular and highly competitive market segments in the country. A large proportion of car buyers in this segment are the youth and urban commuters. The Nexon EV is not the first electric car to come from Tata, the previously launched Tata Tigor EV was the first EV product offering from Tata Motors. While the Tigor EV was intended for a different target audience, it is the Nexon EV that holds a lot of promise. Offering an electric variant of the Nexon is a smart move by Tata Motors as the brand has decided to leverage it's most popular tried and tested product in the Indian market. On the outside, the Nexon EV looks exactly like its regular Nexon sibling. The inside sees some nice blue additions in the cabin giving the car a smart and sophisticated look. The Nexon EV comes loaded with all the tech, features you could ask for – automatic headlamps, automatic climate control, electronically adjustable sunroof, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, etc. Tata Motors have also introduced a connectivity suite called ZConnect which comes with over 35 features. Tata’s Ziptron electric technology makes its debut in the Nexon EV. The car is powered by a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which powers a motor at the front axle, making a healthy 129 bhp of max power output and a good 245 nm of torque. The battery is mounted below the floor of the car i.e. under the passengers giving good stability and composure while driving. The Nexon EV can do 0-100 km/hr in a claimed 9.9 seconds, which is quite a respectable time for a car of this size! The Nexon EV has a range of 312 km on a single charge. With regards to charging, the Nexon EV gets 2 options – a standard 15A AC charger that can charge the car in 8-9 hours and a compatible DC fast charger which can give charge up the battery to 80% capacity in just one hour. Tata is offering an 8 year/1,60,000 km warranty on the electric motor and battery along with a standard 3 year/1,25,000 km warranty on the rest of the car. Tata will provide a network of 300 DC charging stations across India and a free home charger will be provided to buyers.

   Prices for the Nexon EV start at Rs.13.99 lakh onwards. While this is a significantly high price gap between the Nexon EV and its conventional sibling, the Nexon EV still remains the most affordable all-electric SUV in India. The car is an exciting prospect, but what is more interesting to see is how the market receives it! We will have to eagerly wait and watch for that…

Hyundai Launches The Aura Compact Sedan For India

The Xcent was Hyundai’s first foray into the compact sedan (sub-4m) segment of India. The Hyundai Xcent tasted good success and was quite popular with both private car owners and cab aggregators alike. In true Hyundai fashion, the Xcent was value for money car having a good balance of features, practicality, and convenience all bundled at a great price! Hyundai India has launched the next-gen avatar of the Xcent – the Aura compact sedan.

   Over the past year Hyundai has been transitioning to a new design language. This switch to the new design language started off with the Santro, evolved in the Grand i10 NIOS and has continued in the all-new Hyundai Aura. The front end of the Aura resembles that of the Grand i10 NIOS, and it looks quite smart on the Aura. The cascading grille, which is also a Hyundai signature, flanked by projector headlamps gives the car a sophisticated look. Hyundai has paid good attention to detail styling, detail with smartly integrated twin boomerang-shaped DRLs. The Hyundai Aura has grown when compared to the Xcent, the new car is now taller, longer and wider than before. Overall the Aura is designed to be aerodynamic. The roofline merges well into the rear of the car giving a nice coupe-like impression. On the inside, the Aura gets a refreshed interior that looks identical to the one on the Grand i10 NIOS. The light color scheme on the Aura gives the car a spacious and roomy feel. The car gets a 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster and sports an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Arkamys sound system will ensure you get a great music experience! The Aura does not get the Hyundai’s Blue Link connected system; however, it gets Hyundai’s iBlue remote smartphone application. The Hyundai Aura is powered by 2 petrol engines and one diesel. The petrol engines on offer are – 1.2 L naturally aspirated engine producing 82 bhp of max power output mated to both manual and AMT gearboxes, while the 1.0 L turbo petrol engine making a healthy 99 bhp of max power output mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The diesel engine powering the Aura is a 1.2 L diesel engine producing 74 bhp of max power output, this engine is mated to both a manual as well as an AMT gearbox. All engines are compliant with BS6 norms.

   With the arrival of the Aura Hyundai leans towards a slightly premium customer in the compact sedan segment of India. The Aura is a good option for the first-time car buyer and the urban commuter to consider. With a good overall package and great value for money prospect, the Hyundai Aura is one to watch out for!

Meet Pravega Racing - One Of India's Best Formula Student Teams

India has at its disposal a very large, capable talent pool of young engineers who are currently pursuing their studies in one of India’s many eminent engineering colleges…while at the same time chasing their passion. Many students in engineering colleges across the world take part in race competitions which challenge aspiring engineers to test their theoretical knowledge and put it to practical use by designing, building, testing and finally racing a formula car! The Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) based out of Vellore in Tamil Nadu, India is the home of Pravega Racing. Pravega Racing is one of India’s best college racing teams participating in various Formula Student competitions in India as well as abroad. Let us look at the journey of Pravega Racing and how they came to be one of India’s best college racing teams.

  

     

     Pravega Racing was founded in 2009 a group of VIT students, who wanted to leverage what they had learned in theory and practically apply it. Being a part of a car racing team is every young engineer’s dream…the team members of Pravega Racing are living that dream every day. The word ‘Pravega’ means accelerate in Sanskrit, an apt name for a race team! Pravega Racing is made up of a 42-member strong team, with all team members being bonafide students of VIT, Vellore. The team members come from various departments of engineering at VIT primarily – automobile, mechanical, electrical, etc. The team at Pravega Racing is divided into 8 different departments - Aerodynamics, Design, Composites, Data Acquisition, Vehicle Dynamics, Powertrain, Drivetrain, Brakes, Electrical and Management. Just like any other team sport, motorsport is not a one-man show it is a team effort. The core foundation of any successful motorsport team is unity, coordination, internal communication and time management. The members of Pravega Racing must balance both their studies as well as duties tasked with at Pravega, especially working after college hours late into the night and even on weekends, holidays. Pravega Racing takes part in the prestigious Formula Student events happening across the globe. Formula Student is a student engineering competition held annually across various countries in the world, this competition challenges participating college teams to design, build, test and race a formula-style race car.

    

      Over the years Formula Student has played a crucial part in developing, nurturing and promoting young engineers towards a smooth transition into the world of motorsport. The ambassadors of Formula Student are motorsport stalwarts the likes of – David Brabham, Paddy Lowe, and many others. The competition is held under 2 event types – static and dynamic. Static events include – engineering design, cost and sustainability analysis, business presentation, technical inspection. The dynamic events of Formula Student are – Skid Pad (figure of 8), 1km Autocross/Sprint, 22km Endurance, 75m Acceleration and Fuel Economy. To participate in Formula Student competitions teams, must first ace a registration test the results of which will decide eligibility to the competition. Pravega Racing primarily participates in Formula Student Germany (FSG) held at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany every year. FSG is the most challenging, coveted competition in the world of Formula Student. With participation from over 100 universities around the globe, FSG provides fierce competition as well as a great learning curve for participating teams and students. Pravega Racing gave its best performance at FSAE Australasia 2018 - being the highest-ranked FS team from India and 14th overall. At FSG 2019, Pravega Racing became the highest scoring Indian team in the Engineering Design Event in the history of FSG. The team scored its first podium in Formula Student by winning the "D-BASF Best Use of 3D Printing" award at FSG 2019. Pravega participated in Formula Bharat, the national Formula Student competition in 2017 and emerged the champions!

   Great things often have humble beginnings, the same holds true for Pravega Racing. From having space constraints and difficulties holding meetings, designing and manufacturing their car to being a full-fledged racing team with the support of sponsors, partners...the past decade has been a great one for Pravega Racing as they have cemented their place at the top of Formula Student in India. The lighter your car the faster it will drive! Weight saving and the use of composite material to manufacture a race car are paramount for success in any race competition. The CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers) rims manufactured in-house by Pravega Racing ensure reduced weight which converts into a better performing car. Pravega Racing has been at the forefront of 3D printing usage and its application, having won awards for powertrain components, steering components, and brake calipers.

    Pravega Racing is a great example of what young Indian minds can achieve and a great testament to the promise of a limitless future that awaits young India. Pravega Racing is a matter of pride not only for VIT, Vellore but also for the entire nation. We at AutoGuru India are proud to be associated with Pravega Racing and strive to bring you everything you would want to know about them, watch this space for more!