SZEnergy Team: preparing for another title defence – Student Electric Vehicle Team of SZE
Source: SZE News-Zsolt Papp
The student racing team of Széchenyi István University, the SZEnergy Team, has won Europe’s largest energy efficiency competition three times in a row in recent years, each time setting a world record. The young engineers, now aiming for another triumph, recently unveiled this year’s competitor, with which they will compete this week in a challenge taking place in Poland..
The student team of Széchenyi István University has won the energy efficiency category of the Shell Eco-marathon Europe three times since 2022, each time breaking a world record in the urban concept category. Last season, the students from Győr achieved a result of 309 km/kWh in this category. This means that with the same amount of energy as a 100-watt light bulb uses in ten hours, their vehicle could travel 309 kilometres – 41 more than the second-place team from the University of Toulouse. Moreover, the SZEnergy Team also won the autonomous category for the second consecutive time, beating renowned institutions such as the Technical University of Milan and the Technical University of Munich. Their goal once again is to defend the title in both categories.
The team recently presented their latest developments to the public. At the opening of the programme, Professor Dr Ferenc Friedler, Rector and Vice-President of Scientific Affairs of the University, emphasised that the institution provides conditions that enable students to be as successful as possible in their careers and to achieve their goals. He added that the outstanding achievement of the SZEnergy Team lies in their unparalleled teamwork. “A major advantage is that, through their members, not only engineering but numerous other disciplines are represented, building on our University’s multidisciplinary knowledge that spans eleven academic fields,” – he said. As he pointed out, the students from Győr not only designed an excellent vehicle, but through simulations fine-tuned its performance to the highest possible level. He highlighted that their success as a team is of special value, as after graduation they will also need to work effectively with others in order to be truly successful as developers.
(Photo: Bettina Korinek – Széchenyi István University)
Balázs Für, team leader of the SZEnergy Team, explained that their work is structured into four divisions. “Our mechanical division is primarily responsible for designing, developing, manufacturing and assembling various vehicle structures. The electronics division oversees our fully self-developed electronic system, while the autonomous vehicle division handles the self-driving functionalities. Our marketing and management division brings the team together, undertaking graphic design, event organisation, social media management and sponsor relations,” – he listed.
This year’s Shell Eco-marathon will be held at the Silesia Ring in Kamień Śląski, Poland. “After technical inspection, we’ll have six attempts to achieve the best possible energy balance on the track. In the autonomous category, we must complete three tasks: an autonomous driving phase, an obstacle avoidance phase, and a parking manoeuvre. This will be followed by a business presentation where we have to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology,” the team leader shared the event’s schedule with the attendees.
Dávid Sándor, head of the mechanical division, presented the developments made to the competition car named SZEmission, highlighting among the most important improvements the redesign of the front suspension for better adjustability and ease of assembly. Among other things, the entire braking system was also revised for improved braking force distribution. “In cooperation with our electronics division, we created a new steering wheel, rethinking the button placements and introducing a more ergonomic design,” – he explained.
“A new printed circuit board was also added to the steering wheel, allowing the driver to change vehicle settings even while driving. We simplified radio communication with a single button and completely redesigned our wiring, resulting in significant weight reduction,” – detailed András Tímár, head of the electronics division. He also highlighted that they had the opportunity to test their developments at Bosch’s headquarters in Budapest, achieving very positive results.
(Photo: Bettina Korinek – Széchenyi István University)
Szabolcs Halir summarised the work of the autonomous division. He introduced the revamped graphical interface seen by the drivers inside the vehicle. The student presented several software developments that have made functions such as obstacle avoidance and parking more precise. Bíborka Bartha, head of the marketing division, said that in recent times the team has focused on increasing their popularity, strengthening their professional credibility, and enhancing partnerships. To this end, they improved their website and remained active on social media. She emphasised that 2025 is a special year for them, as they are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their team’s foundation, while the Shell Eco-marathon is being held for the 40th time.
