Thursday, 27 August 2015

A part-three mechanical engineering student of UNILAG builds electric automobile car


A group of Mechanical Engineering students of the
University of Lagos (UNILAG) has unveiled a zero-emission
automobile built to reduce global warming. KAWTHAR
BABATUNDE (300-Level Petroleum Engineering) reports.
The project was conceived last year and the aim was to
build an automobile that will not be powered by fuel.
Months after they started the project, the engineers
came out with a design of the car.
The eco-friendly automobile was unveiled last
Wednesday at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
The engineering students, who designed the zero-
emission vehicle, named it DOVE P1 at an exhibition
organised by Designed for Zero Vehicle Emission (DOVE)
Initiative at the Julius Berger Hall.
The 200 kilogramme automobile is powered by a high
voltage battery and has no carbon emission. It has only
a driver’s seat and a speed limit of 15 kilometres per
hour. It is fitted with a tabular frame chassis and a 16-
inch diameter tires.
The project was initiated by Olusanya Olukoya, a
graduate of Mechanical Engineering of the university,
who said the car was built with locally-sourced
materials.
Olusanya told CAMPUSLIFE that the car was designed
out of their desire to encourage eco-friendly inventions.
He praised the school management for supporting the
project and their passion for practising what they were
taught in the class.
He said: ‘The project DOVE Initiative is a design and
innovation group established to encourage
innovativeness of the youth to design and create vehicles
of the future in Nigeria. We want to create pure, clean,
eco-friendly and energy efficient automobiles. This
informed our idea to build an electric car as against the
conventional fuel-powered cars.”
He said electric vehicles would be become a new trend in
the future, noting that the world was running out of fossil
fuels. Electric cars, Olusanya said, has an advantage
over the conventional vehicle, because it reduces carbon
emission into the atmosphere.
During the presentation of the techniques behind the
design, Peace Omoruyi, a 500-Level Mechanical
Engineering student and leader of the project team, said
they had already started the design of DOVE P2, which
would be an improvement on the DOVE P1.
According to him, the new automobile would have an
ergonometric design, accident prevention system,
fingerprint port and anti-theft technology.
The exhibition was attended by guests from the Nigerian
Society of Engineers (NSE) and Permanent Secretary in
the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and
Corporation, Mr. F.A. Akandu.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rahmon Bello, represented by
the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof A.O. Fakinlade,
hailed the students, expressing hope that the project
would place the nation on the global map.
He said: “We must learn from countries that have vibrant
automobile industries. The extent to which our
automobile industry goes depends on the level of
support we give young inventors and how fast we can
learn. I urge other engineering students to emulate this
initiative and design life-changing projects that can
boost local inventions.”



The Managing Director of Elizade Nigeria Limited, Mr
Adedamola Adeojo, said he was impressed by the
students’ creativity, noting that the development could
boost local expertise for vehicles’ production.
He said: “We are here to celebrate ingenuity of our
youths. I see inventions like this to have to potentials to
change the thinking of unemployed youths to become
inventors. I will encourage the designers of DOVE P1 to
transform the project into a business idea.”
Prof Oluremi Olatunbosun, Head of Automotive
Engineering Laboratory of the University of Birmingham
in United Kingdom, said he was surprised by the
students.
If supported, Prof Olatunbosun expressed optimism that
the project could make Nigeria a vehicle-manufacturing
nation, adding that it could provide jobs to the
unemployed youths.
He said: “One of the areas we can create jobs is
manufacturing industry 


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