A first-year team's three-wheeler, through every inspection at the first attempt

Team Swift's first entry in SAE Efficycle, a national student vehicle competition in India: a motor-assisted three-wheeler the team built itself, with no earlier vehicle to start from.

The Efficycle frame in CAD: the roll structure and the floor frame — Fig.
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Title
The frame
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CAD render
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Team Swift, SAE Efficycle

Role: Lead Design Engineer
Team: Team Swift, Parul University
Period: Feb 2019 to Oct 2019
Result: 36th of about 70, first-year entry
Tools: SolidWorks

One platform, four systems

I architected the three-wheeler across chassis, suspension, steering and drive as one package against the rulebook, did the part design, packaging and stress simulation, scheduled the team's work packages, and built it with the team.

CAD render of the Efficycle three-wheeler from the side: canopy, seat, drive and wheels — Fig.
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The complete three-wheeler: side, front three-quarter and rear three-quarter
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CAD render
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Team Swift, SAE Efficycle

CAD render of the Efficycle from the front three-quarter: canopy, seating and front suspension — Fig.
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The complete three-wheeler: side, front three-quarter and rear three-quarter
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CAD render
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Team Swift, SAE Efficycle

Fig. 1 is the frame I designed for it, the roll structure and the floor frame; Fig. 2 is the whole package from three sides, with the seat, the canopy, the motor-assisted drive and both suspensions.

The platform became the base the team's later vehicles were built on.

Inspections, events and documentation

I wrote the technical and statutory competition documentation and managed the bill of materials and procurement paperwork with the university. Every technical and safety inspection was cleared at the first attempt, the stage where first-year teams most often fail, and every event was completed.

Fig. 3 is the organiser's certificate from the event; Team Swift's own film shows the build and the car in inspection and on track (Figs. 4 and 5).

A second film, by Parul University

Certificate of participation, SAE Northern India Section Effi-cycle 2019, 1 to 5 October 2019, presented to Darshak Panseriya, representing Team Swift, Parul University — Fig.
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SAE Effi-cycle 2019, Lovely Professional University: certificate of participation, Team Swift
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Certificate, signatures and team id removed
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Organiser's certificate