Working for a greener future
Fuel Fighter NTNU is an exciting volunteer student organization working hard to create the world’s most energy-efficient car. – Where Fuel Fighter aims to drive as efficiently as possible on land, GKN wants to fly farther, faster, and greener, says Tor Børve Rasmussen, Project Manager of Fuel Fighter NTNU.
The key to success
The student organization comprises 54 students from over 20 different disciplines at NTNU. To create such an advanced car, interdisciplinary knowledge is essential. Therefore, the students are divided into six different groups. These include autonomous, design, electrical, marketing, mechanical, and software. All groups work closely together to achieve the best possible result.
The car is used to compete in the Shell Eco-Marathon. This is a competition where over 200 universities from around the world participate. Fuel Fighter NTNU often ranks among the best in its class, which is not surprising given the amount of work and passion the students put into the project. In addition to creating an energy-efficient car, they also develop their own self-driving systems, which is also part of the competition.
What is Fuel Fighter?
Fuel Fighter NTNU is a volunteer student organization working to create the world’s most energy-efficient car. The car is used to compete in the world’s second-largest student competition, the Shell Eco-Marathon. The competition aims to create a car that uses the least amount of energy per kilometer. In 2019, Fuel Fighter set a Norwegian record for the number of kilometers driven per kilowatt-hour – 181 km.
Taking challenges head-on
Project Manager Tor Børve Rasmussen joined Fuel Fighter NTNU three years ago as a first-year student in cybernetics and robotics.
I was motivated to learn more and see how the theories I learned in school could be applied in practice.
As a member of the autonomous group, he worked on many different systems, including control systems and sensors such as INS.
I enjoyed it so much that I decided to continue the next year. Then I wanted to lead the autonomous group. This was very interesting, and I got to work with even more systems within the autonomous field. After that, I was ready for new challenges and ran for project manager for the entire Fuel Fighter team.
He got the position of project manager and has held it since July last year. As project manager, the tasks are very versatile and varied. As a leader, he must be flexible and adaptable and willing to help in all areas, whether organizational or technical tasks.
I have overall responsibility for the entire organization. This includes everything from planning and coordinating the work to having conversations and discussions with members. In addition, I also work on solving various technical challenges, where I can use my technical knowledge and experience.
The Fuel Fighter project started in 2007 under the name Pure Choice and has been annual since then. Every fall, the team recruits new members to develop and improve the car for the next year’s competition. This year, the competition will take place from May 19-25 in southern France, where they will compete against all the European teams. If they win, they will advance to the final, which will be held in India.
The team has worked incredibly hard for this, and we are now in the final stretch. We have estimated that we have spent 25,000 working hours on the project since last September, says Tor.
Fuel Fighter NTNU’s goal is to “inspire a sustainable future.” They aim to inspire students and others by providing practical experience with the technology needed to develop sustainable solutions. In addition to technical knowledge, students also learn how to work in an interdisciplinary team and build networks with people with shared interests.
Read more about the history of Fuel Fighter here!
Shared values
GKN Aerospace’s contribution to the Fuel Fighter NTNU project has been invaluable since the 2022 season. With financial support, GKN has made it possible for the team to invest in new equipment and parts for the car, including a new suspension and motor mount in aerospace aluminum, which has significantly improved performance.
But it is not just the financial support that has made GKN an important partner for Fuel Fighter NTNU. GKN’s focus on sustainable development and technological challenges has made them an ideal partner for the student organization. They are committed to working on highly relevant issues with a sustainable perspective. GKN’s goal of flying farther, faster, and greener aligns with Fuel Fighter NTNU’s desire to drive as efficiently as possible on land.
For the student organization, GKN Aerospace is an attractive partner due to their shared focus on sustainability and technological challenges. GKN is known for being a pioneer in sustainable aviation and has developed several greener technologies that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. These are values important to the students, who also want to work on solving sustainable challenges and contribute to a more environmentally friendly future.
All in all, Fuel Fighter NTNU is an incredibly impressive student organization that demonstrates what can be achieved when students from different disciplines collaborate to achieve a common goal.
