The 'Dátil' with which UMH aims to win an ultra-low consumption race

The Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche aims to improve on the 4th place it achieved in the previous edition of the efficient Shell Eco-Marathon Europe and Africa. To achieve this, it has unveiled the Dátil, the prototype vehicle with which they will compete in the event, developed by a group of students from the Mechanical Engineering Degree at the university.

Coordinated by David Abellán López, a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Area at UMH, the vehicle was presented this Tuesday at the Elche campus. Joining the UMH group will be a student from the Welding and Machining vocational course at IES Antonio José Cavanilles in Alicante and Professor Federico Oliva Pérez. This marks the second year of collaboration between the two educational centres on this project.

The UMH Team will once again participate in the prototype category powered by an internal combustion engine, in which last year it recorded a mark of 1,615 km per litre of fuel. The vehicle is approximately 3 metres long, 60 cm wide, 50 cm high, weighs 30 kg, and is made of carbon fibre.

UMH explains that while the vehicle's base remains the same as in the previous edition, much of this year's effort has focused on improving reliability and efficiency, as well as adapting the chassis to new safety requirements imposed by the competition's regulations.

This efficient automotive competition will bring together more than 1,200 students, distributed across around 100 teams from universities and institutes in Europe and Africa, from June 10 to 15.

This year, the team consists of 10 members. Joining the 7 students from the Mechanical Engineering Degree, led by student Lucía Muñoz Cordera and coordinated by Professor David Abellán López, will be a student from the Welding and Machining vocational course at IES Antonio José Cavanilles in Alicante and Professor Federico Oliva Pérez. This is the second year of collaboration between the two educational centres on this project, following the positive experience of last year.