LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) -- With the aim of promoting renewable energy for the community, senior mechanical engineering students at Northwestern University in Laoag City built solar-powered electric vehicles which will be used by students and teachers to get around the campus.

The vehicle’s components are made from scrap materials and have five rechargeable batteries, allowing it to travel up to 23.5km before recharging.

Additionally, it can run up to a maximum of 30km if the solar panel is open. 

In an interview with the students, their planning stage started by developing its chassis while basing the structure on an owner-type Jeep.

They also made considerations for the costs and recycled materials to be used for the project.

Rolly Ramos, adviser of the students, mentioned that this project is the result of the students’ hard work, beginning with its conceptualization phase in the first semester of the academic year.

According to Ramos, the electrical engineering students have previously devised an electric vehicle. The mechanical engineering program was then challenged to create one as well by adding more mechanical components to make it easier to maneuver and make it look like a real vehicle.

Further, the teacher said, “We thought of this project to address the pollution problem and the increasing prices of crude oil. Even though most of the parts are recycled, the most expensive components are the battery, electric motor, and the solar panel”. 

Efren Marquez Jr., one of the students who pioneered the project stated, “My advice to future mechanical engineering students is to think positive and create projects like this one, too, to promote renewable energy so that we can help save the Earth”. 

At present, the students are currently working on two other projects such as the plastic shredder that is intended to address the waste problem on campus. The other one is the Eco Hydro Project, which is about street lights. The students will be donating this initiative to a barangay in Dingras town.

With its goal to ‘go green’, the university looks forward to having more of these vehicles created for the campus. (JCR/MJTAB PIA Region 1-PIA Ilocos Norte)