Design and development of ultra-light front and rear axle of experimental vehicle

Abstract

Shell Eco-marathon is an international competition to develop a vehicle with the lowest fuel consumption. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University in Košice has been involved in this competition for 25 years, during which it developed 8 vehicles. For vehicles are important not only low fuel consumption but also high safety. In addition to the low aerodynamic drag of the vehicle, the low weight of the vehicle is important to achieve low fuel consumption. This is achieved by using ultra-light and solid materials in all parts of the vehicle. The latest generation vehicle uses a self-supporting body, which has increased requirements for front and rear stiffness, as discussed in this article.