06 July 2011
The RMIT racer - it's electric!
Siemens chief Albert Goller has taken to the wheel of RMIT University's electric racing car.
Albert Goller, Professor Aleksandar Subic and Professor Simon Watkins (RMIT Electrical Racing Team coordinator) and the students.
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Mr Goller, Chairman and Managing Director of Siemens Australia and New Zealand, completed several circuits of an impromptu racing track at his company's Bayswater plant.
Students from RMIT's School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering showed him their handiwork.
Mr Goller was so impressed with the car that he took it for a further spin.
He said that Siemens foresaw a great future for electric cars that operated on renewable energy.
Head of School, Professor Aleksandar Subic, told him RMIT's primary goal was to achieve engineering excellence while promoting sustainability in the automotive industry and within the community.
"A key theme of automotive engineering at RMIT is our focus on green car technologies and the ability to work with industry to develop new capabilities and technologies in this domain.
"Through our efforts, the RMIT Electric Racing Team hopes to raise awareness of the environmental benefits of electric vehicles and gain recognition for undertaking a sustainable project.
"The batteries used to power the students' vehicle are re-charged via the Renewable Energy Park at RMIT's Bundoora campus."
The electric racer is produced by a team of RMIT students, who design, manufacture, assemble, test and race it.
The car is then demonstrated at the Society of Automotive Engineers Formula SAE competitions nationally and globally, competing in high-intensity dynamic races and team presentation events.
The team brings together more than 30 members undertaking engineering degrees in aerospace, automotive, electrical, mechanical and manufacturing.
They include undergraduate, Masters, PhD and vocational students, from Australia and overseas.
