SAE Supermileage competition ended today and we had obtained the second place. The team is disappointed, but we would like to congratulate the University of Sherbrooke’s team, Infinity, for their victory. In summary, because the car came back from Germany only one day before leaving, problems that had occurred during the Shell Eco-Marathon Europe were still present and we had to address several ones related to the engine. This took much of the first day, which meant that we have passed the inspections on the second day. The first night was used to refine the vehicle so that it would be ready for the second and final day of competition. Rain and cold weather were unfortunately part of the beginning of the next day, limiting the time for testing on the track. However, we enjoyed a thinning to record a first result, rather disappointing, of 1579 mpg. Temperature, very cold, really did not help, but this result suggested the presence of unwanted losses in the vehicle. After several adjustments, we were confident for the second test, but the rain took over the game, this time with thunder, ensuring that all teams had to wait an hour before the track reopened. Finally, when the weather was good enough, we had about 1h30 to save the more testing possible. The second test was the most difficult, because of the fog on the windows; making driving extremely difficult (The pilot used her feet to wipe the fog so she could see!). The test result: about 1610 mpg, we were still very disappointed. Again, the cold weather really did not help, but the vehicle should have done better. Then, there was time for only one last test. Some lubrication and changes in the ECU and we were on the track again. This time, the changes were good and the vehicle was operating at the height of his abilities. After six laps without fail, we were very confident that our results would significantly improve. To our astonishment we found ourselves with a final result of only 467 mpg! We were stunned, only to find a major leak in the fuel supply system. We are not sure of the point at which this problem has manifested itself, but it could explain the results of the day if it was present from the beginning and it has gotten worse after. In short, lack of time, we could not do further testing, which ended the day on a disappointing note.
After a year full of new experiences, we cannot wait to use the new vehicle, which unfortunately could not be ready for the SAE Supermileage. We had an extremely busy year, for the design and manufacture of a new monocoque carbon fiber, a new steering system, new carbon wheels, a new electronic system in addition to participate in three competitions in 2011. Our performance this year might certainly not always lived up to our expectations but our efforts this year will definitely be rewarded in the years to come. We also take the time to thank all our partners without whom this year our many projects would not have been possible.