The ITS Sapuangin Team when receiving the first place award for the Urban Concept Internal Combustion Engine at the Shell Eco-marathon Asia Pacific and the Middle East 2024

ITS Campus, ITS News — The pride of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), the Sapuangin team, once again achieved stellar results at the Shell Eco-marathon (SEM) Asia Pacific and the Middle East 2024. This year, the Sapuangin team clinched first place in the Regional Championship and first place in the On-Track Urban Concept category for Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles at the competition held at the Mandalika International Circuit, Lombok.

The on-track race tests each team’s fuel efficiency by driving their cars around the Mandalika Circuit three times within a maximum time of 30 minutes. The on-track competition is divided into two categories, Urban Concept and Prototype, each further divided into three types: Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Battery-Electric, and Hydrogen Fuel Cell. The off-track competition evaluates aspects beyond the track, including car design, data utilization, carbon emission reduction, and vehicle innovation.

Impressively, the Sapuangin team won the on-track competition with a fuel efficiency of 482 kilometers per liter, significantly surpassing last year’s achievement of 422.9 kilometers per liter. This result also placed them well ahead of their nearest competitor, who achieved a fuel efficiency of 414 kilometers per liter.

The ITS Sapuangin Team when receiving the first place award for the Regional Championship at the Shell Eco-marathon Asia Pacific and the Middle East 2024

Rayhan Naufal Hafizh, General Manager of the Sapuangin ITS team, stated that the speed and resilience of the Sapuangin XI Evo 3 car helped maintain their reputation as the most efficient vehicle in the Urban Concept ICE category using gasoline. “Our on-track results qualified us to participate in the Regional Championship the following day,” Rayhan explained.

In the Regional Championship, teams were given fuel quantities based on their on-track fuel efficiency. As the first-place winner on-track, the Sapuangin XI Evo 3 received a much smaller fuel allocation than its competitors, only 27.6 milliliters. “From this total fuel, we managed to finish with just 1.2 percent remaining,” said the ITS Mechanical Engineering student.

The Sapuangin XI Evo 3 car as it raced on the Mandalika International Circuit track at the Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) Asia Pacific and the Middle East 2024 event.

Rayhan noted that the Regional Championship posed a high level of difficulty because the cars needed to be fast yet highly fuel-efficient. Despite finishing with minimal fuel, the Sapuangin team had anticipated this challenge from the start, so it was not a significant issue.

Beyond the on-track competition, the ITS team also excelled in several off-track categories at SEM 2024. They secured second place in the Safety category, which evaluates how teams manage paddock safety during the competition, and second place in the Data and Telemetry category, which assesses how teams utilize car data to optimize race strategies.

The ITS Sapuangin Team held a salute as the final preparation before the Regional Championship race at the 2024 Shell Eco-marathon Asia Pacific and the Middle East at the Mandalika International Circuit, Lombok

Rayhan further explained that the Sapuangin team is committed to paddock safety by carefully organizing available materials. Flammable items are kept outside, and the car is kept away from sharp, dangerous objects. “In the future, we hope to continue innovating our car to retain the champion title,” he added.

Looking ahead, Rayhan aspires for the Sapuangin ITS team to maintain their winning streak and achieve even greater success at the Shell Eco-marathon Asia Pacific and the Middle East 2025 in Qatar. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Mohammad Febryan Khamim