Since 2022, the student racing team of Széchenyi István University has won three times with world-record results in the Urban Concept category of the energy efficiency competition at the European edition of the Shell Eco-marathon. In the previous season, the students from Győr achieved a result of 309 km/kWh in this category. This means that their vehicle was capable of travelling 309 kilometres using the same amount of energy consumed by a 100-watt light bulb operating for ten hours, 41 kilometres more than the second-placed team from the University of Toulouse. SZEnergy Team also won the autonomous driving competition for the second consecutive time, finishing ahead of prestigious institutions such as Politecnico di Milano and the Technical University of Munich. Once again, their goal is to defend both titles.
The team recently presented its latest developments to the public. Professor Dr Ferenc Friedler, Rector and Vice-President for Academic Affairs of the university, emphasised at the opening of the event that the university provides conditions that enable students to become as successful as possible in their careers and achieve their goals. He added that SZEnergy’s outstanding results are also rooted in exceptional teamwork. “One of their major advantages is that, through their members, not only engineering but several other disciplines are represented, building on our university’s multidisciplinary knowledge spanning eleven fields of science” – he said. He noted that the students from Győr had not only designed an excellent vehicle but had also used simulations to optimise its performance as much as possible. He pointed out that their success as a team is particularly valuable, as after graduation they will also achieve the best results as developers by working together with others.
Balázs Für, leader of SZEnergy Team, explained that the team works across four divisions. “Our Mechanical Engineering Division primarily focuses on the design and development of various vehicle structures, as well as their manufacturing and assembly. Our Electronics Division is responsible for our entirely in-house-developed electronic system, while our Autonomous Division is responsible for the vehicle’s self-driving functions. Our Marketing and Management Division brings the team together and handles graphic design, event organisation, social media management and sponsor relations” – he explained.
This year’s Shell Eco-marathon will be held at the Silesia Ring in Kamień Śląski, Poland. “Following technical inspection, we will have six attempts to achieve the best possible energy efficiency result on the track. In the autonomous category, we will have to complete three tasks: an autonomous driving section, an obstacle avoidance section and a parking manoeuvre. This will be followed by the business presentation, where we will have to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology” – the team leader explained the competition schedule to the participants.
Dávid Sándor, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Division, presented the developments implemented on the SZEmission race car. One of the most important was the redesign of the front suspension to improve adjustability and ease of assembly. Among several other modifications, the vehicle’s entire braking system was also reviewed to improve brake force distribution. “In cooperation with our Electronics Division, we created a new steering wheel, rethinking the position of the buttons and developing a more ergonomic design” – he explained.
“The steering wheel also features a new printed circuit board that allows the driver to change the car’s settings even while driving. We simplified radio communication with a button and completely redesigned our wiring system, which also resulted in a significant reduction in weight” – explained András Tímár, Head of the Electronics Division. He highlighted that the team also had the opportunity to test its developments at Bosch’s Budapest headquarters, where they achieved very good results.
Szabolcs Halir summarised the work of the Autonomous Division. He presented the redesigned graphical interface displayed to drivers while sitting in the vehicle. He also introduced several software developments that have made functions such as obstacle avoidance and parking more precise. Biborka Bartha, Head of the Marketing Division, explained that the team had recently focused on increasing its popularity, strengthening its professional credibility and developing its partner relationships. To achieve this, they improved their website and maintained an active presence on social media. She emphasised that 2025 is a special year for the team, as it celebrates the twentieth anniversary of its foundation, while the Shell Eco-marathon is also being held for the fortieth time.
Source: Széchenyi István University
