Eco-Runner Team Delft: A Journey from Concept to Road

Blog by Eco-Runner Team Delft.

We are the Eco-Runner Team Delft – a multidisciplinary student team from the Delft University of Technology that works each year on designing and building the world’s most efficient hydrogen-powered car. Each team member has several years of study experience and comes from different academic backgrounds (aerospace engineers, applied physicists, mechanical engineers, etc.). Last year, Eco-Runner XIII set a fantastic Guinness World Record by covering an unprecedented distance of 2488.5 km on less than 1 kilogram of hydrogen, an improvement of more than 20% compared to the previous record holders.

For the first time this year, the plan was to move from concept to reality. The goal of the current team (Eco-Runner Team Delft XIV) was to develop a street-legal vehicle and set a new world record for the world’s most efficient hydrogen-powered vehicle, this time on public roads. This means that we wanted to have the Eco-Runner XIV approved by the RDW, allowing it to drive on public roads in the Netherlands. This is a step that no team before us has taken, but it is a necessary step to achieve the ultimate goal of a street-legal city car.

The goal this year was to set a world record: driving 1360 km on public roads without refuelling. This record is held by Toyota for the longest distance driven on a tank of hydrogen. Since we aimed to enter public roads this year, we wanted to link this to an iconic route. The route we have chosen is the Elfstedentocht.

If the weather permits, the ‘tocht der tochten’ (the tour of tours) is skated annually, but the last time the Elfstedentocht was skated was back in 1997. This also forms a nice connection to the Eco-Runner project: the tour can no longer be skated due to global warming, and now the Eco-Runner will drive it with a sustainable vehicle to draw attention to this issue. The goal is to drive the Elfstedentocht about ten times to cover the distance of 2056 km.

We will do all this with the Eco-Runner XIV, this year’s car. Since September, we have been working on designing this car. In January, we started the production phase, during which the shell (exterior) of the car was made. This was done by our Body Department, who were away for a month to make the shell out of carbon fiber at an external company.

Then the assembly phase began, where all the components had to be integrated into the car. This was a busy period where all the engineers had to fight for a spot in the car.

Finally, the moment arrived, and the Eco-Runner XIV was almost finished! The car went to an external location to be provided with the ‘Car Wrap’ (sticker). We unveiled the Eco-Runner XIV on May 8th at the Grote Kerk in The Hague. It was a very beautiful evening where we could showcase to friends, family, and partners what we had been working on since September.

Then came the most exciting part of the year for us: the test phase, where we had to pass various tests to get an official license plate.

First came the EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) test. This test checks whether the electronic components of the Eco-Runner XIV do not interfere with the electronics of other vehicles and vice versa. After some problems at the beginning of the day with connecting some electronic components, the test went smoothly! The first test was passed.

Next was the hydrogen test, which checked if the hydrogen system of the Eco-Runner XIV was safe enough to enter public roads. There were some ambiguities in the regulations, so we had to make some adjustments to the system. But after making those adjustments, the Eco XIV also passed the hydrogen test!

The last test was the dynamic test. This test is where the RDW checks how the Eco-Runner drives. This includes steering, braking, cornering, etc. After spending two days at the RDW test centre in Lelystad, we passed this test as well. The Eco XIV officially received a license plate and could drive on public roads!

Soon it was time for our world record attempt in Friesland. We left early on June 17th for Leeuwarden, where we organised a kick-off event for all interested parties. After a few hours, it was time to leave Leeuwarden and begin our world record attempt!

The first two days, we had some problems with the car, so unfortunately, we could not cover many kilometres. From Wednesday onwards, we were able to drive full laps! We drove in a convoy, with a Toyota Proace in front of the Eco XIV to scout intersections and communicate the rest of the incoming traffic to the driver of the Eco XIV. Behind the Eco-Runner was a Toyota Mirai to complete the convoy.

We alternated with three crews until Monday, June 24th, driving all day. The Elfstedentocht route was an incredibly beautiful route to drive, and we greatly enjoyed the landscapes, dikes, and, of course, the cows and sheep found there. After 1273 kilometres, the Eco XIV drove its final meters. Unfortunately, we did not reach the world record of 1360 kilometres. But we are still very proud of our achievement. In 9 months, we created a car that is approved for public roads, and it was magical to see it driving around in Friesland. Just like a normal car in traffic. We look back on a very successful week and an incredibly fun year. We are curious to see what the next Eco-Runner team will accomplish next year!