An all-new solar car prototype from Polytechnique Montréal

Esteban 10: a much-anticipated unveiling!

 

FÉRIQUE Fund Management is proud and delighted to have renewed its partnership with the Esteban team to support the design and manufacture of a car powered entirely by solar energy.

Breaking new ground

Since its inception in 1998, the Esteban project has focused on the design of one-seat vehicles. But its 10th prototype is entirely different: Esteban 10 is Quebec’s very first multiseat solar vehicle, so its creators had to innovate in several technological fields! “With the addition of the passenger side, the car’s design had to change completely, which created a lot of constraints and challenges,” explained Annabelle Auger, team co-manager.

In addition to designing a prototype that was very different from the previous ones, the Esteban team saw its pace slow considerably with the arrival of COVID-19. The team was getting ready to present Esteban 10 in the spring of 2020 but had to postpone the unveiling for a year, a setback that Annabelle admits did have a benefit. “We went six or seven months without being able to work on the car. We started again in September. Apart from the delay it caused, the pandemic allowed us to take our time with the fine-tuning before presenting the car, something we normally wouldn’t have been able to do.”

Acquiring in-depth knowledge

The project gives the students an opportunity to build on the knowledge acquired from their course work with additional technical and practical experience. “We aim to be as efficient and effective as possible in designing a high-performance vehicle,” Ms. Auger said. Esteban enables this group of future engineers not only to improve their ability to work as a team and to manage a major concrete project but also to prepare for the job market, while contributing to sustainability by promoting renewable energy.

Esteban’s 10th prototype, unveiled officially on May 20 during a virtual event, will enable Polytechnique Montréal to compete with universities from around the world, once health conditions permit. The design team also hopes to hold a Gatineau-Gaspé rally during the next year to give new recruits a foretaste of the competitions the team normally takes part in. For more information, visit the project website.