Students building solar car

A group of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University students is furiously working on the production of a solar-powered car.

The university's Advanced Mechatronics Technology Centre and its School of Engineering are running the project, which promises to strengthen the institution's renewable energy research capability.

The students and lecturer Clive Hands are determined that the car will be ready for the biennial SA Solar Challenge, to be run in Pretoria in September.

The challenge is an epic two-week race of solar-powered cars through the length and breadth of the country.

Teams have to build their car, engineer its systems and race through demanding terrain.

The competitors include a mix of local and international racers, some from as far afield as Japan, China and the Netherlands.

The Nelson Mandela team hopes its car, which is 5m long, will be ready for road testing by the end of May.

Team leader Pierre Scheepers said the car is "work in progress".

"This vehicle includes F1 parts such as the design inside and the steering wheel. Now that it is being manufactured, we keep going back to the drawing board.

"Certain parts of the design are not do able and we have to draw them up again," he said.

Second-year engineering student Claudia Powell said it was an honour to be able to put her theories into action so early in her studies.

"I just joined in two months ago and am responsible for the safety side," she said.

Hands said: " Since hearing about the project in December 2010, the students took a great interest and made up a team.

"They have been exposed to so many areas of engineering and are learning a lot."

He said each team member is responsible for a part of the vehicle. One is responsible for the steering wheel, another taking charge of the brakes.

"We shall continue with renewable energy projects after the competition has been decided," he said.