NTU unveils Singapore’s first green vehicle made out of 3D-printed parts

A group of NTU engineering students have built two eco-friendly cars to participate in this month’s Shell Eco-marathon, with one of the cars made out of 3D-printed parts.

By Karl Lim

GOING GREEN: NTU students who designed the NV8 with their final product at the unveiling of the cars on Monday (2 Feb). The NV8 is the first 3D-printed concept car in Singapore. PHOTO: NTU

Mention a race car and most people might think of a Ferrari with its sleek metallic body, but a group of NTU students have defied convention – by coming up with a 3D-printed concept car.

Unveiled on Monday (2 Feb) at NTU’s Sports and Recreation Centre, the NTU Venture 8 (NV8) is Singapore’s first urban solar electric car with a 3D-printed body shell made up of 150 parts. The car is described by its designers as being able to reach a top speed of 60 kilometres per hour “while maintaining low energy consumption”.

It is set to race in the Urban Concept category at the annual Shell Eco-marathon Asia, which will be held in Manila from 26 Feb to 1 Mar this year.

Ilmi Wahab, 24, a final-year student from the School of Computer Engineering who led the development of NV8, said: “We decided to go with a 3D-printed cabin made from lightweight plastic, as we wanted to maximise the internal space and driver’s comfort while still being able to keep the weight to a minimum.”

Printed and assembled over three months, the car was a result of a collaboration between students from the design team, various NTU schools and research centres, as well as sponsors and institutions.

The successful completion of the car was met with delight by the team’s mentor, Associate Professor Ng Heong Wah.

“We are extremely proud to have designed and assembled a 3D-printed body shell for the electric car, which is Singapore’s first and probably Asia’s first 3D-printed concept car.

“The 3D-printed car body was pushing existing technology to the limits and we are so pleased that it has paid off,” Assoc Prof Ng said.

The other student-built innovation unveiled on Monday was the NTU Venture 9 (NV9), a three-wheeled racer that will also compete at the Shell Eco-marathon. The NV9 is able to negotiate sharp corners with minimal speed loss, and features hand-made silicon solar cells.

Team manager Winston Tan, a final-year student at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, revealed that the design was inspired by motorcycle racing, and accompanied with the idea of a streamlined car body.

The 27-year-old added: “The resulting design looks like a fusion between a F1 race car and a glider plane, with an all-surround canopy for increased visual awareness.”

FUTURISTIC OUTLOOK: The NV9 will participate in the prototype category at this month’s Shell Eco-marathon Asia, where it will also be judged based on the presence of innovative design elements. PHOTO: NTU

The entire process of building – including proposing, planning and constructing –  the NV8 and the NV9 took over a year. The two teams that participated comprised of 16 students from various NTU engineering schools.

It was a case of their gamble paying off for mentor Assoc Prof Ng, who pointed out that both teams “took a huge risk by going with disruptive innovations rather than making improvements to the previous versions”.

While both cars will seek to meet the marathon’s challenge of maximising fuel efficiency, they will be representing NTU in different categories.

The Urban Concept category, which NV8 will race in, features cars that follow roadworthiness standards. Meanwhile, NV9 will compete under the Prototype category, where teams submit futuristic prototypes focused on maximising fuel efficiency through innovative design elements.