General Plastics & Composites sponsored a University of Houston senior design team in the2012 Shell Eco-Marathon, March 29-April 1, 2012 in Houston. The 5-student team, Superleggera, engineered a prototype vehicle composed of carbon fiber and aluminum, and set a new University of Houston record.
The Shell Eco-Marathon challenges student teams from around the world to design, build and test ultra energy-efficient vehicles. With annual events first in the Americas, then Europe and Asia, the winners are the teams that go the furthest using the least amount of energy.
General Plastics & Composites offered a location for the team to build the car, and the company’s materials science team provided fiber expertise, helping the team fabricate the carbon fiber piece to create the tear-drop shaped top of the car, affectionately known as “The Boat.”
“It was a pleasure working with the enthusiastic U of H team and helping them push the boundaries of their designs,” said David Walstad, CEO, General Plastics & Composites. “This is the next generation of employees, and we feel honored and obligated to give back and support their growth.”
After many challenges and obstacles and diligent problem solving, the team ran their car a total of 60 miles over the 2-day competition and finished #18 out of 90 cars in their category, logging the highest finish in the University of Houston history.
