Even as Nigerians look forward to the commencement of the forthcoming 2015 general elections in February, another expected highlight of the new year is the scheduled presentation of the prototype of Nigeria’s first ever solar-powered race car, the Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” Solar Car, to
President Goodluck Jonathan within the first quarter of the year.
The upcoming presentation of the innovative design to the president at the State House, Abuja, will be at the instance of the Nigeria Eco-Racing
Team, a.k.a. Team Nigeria, which is competing as Africa’s sole representative at the World Solar
Challenge at Adelaide, Australia, later in the year in October.
The 27-year-old World Solar Challenge, a globally reputed competition at which Nigeria showcases as Africa’s only competitor and for the first time,
is the No.1 and most keenly contested technology challenge in the Renewable Energy category and
Design ecosystem.
In addition to standing a good chance as Africa’s Ambassador at the global event, the greatest
expectations of the 9jaBOLT Solar Car technology is its very probable application to cushion Nigeria’s domestic energy problems.
Indeed the story of the origins of the Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” has been nothing short of phenomenal, and one worth telling over and over. No one tells the story better than Mr. Ebisike Ebube George, the Creative Director of the Nigeria Eco-Racing
Team at the World Solar Challenge.
In a chat with Vanguard Features, Ebube George recounted how over the last year, the team has been expanding its research in the first of its kind hardware and software technology design campaign whilst commencing building of the solar
car at its Owode-Onirin base in Lagos.
It all began when Ebube George, an engineer and ICT enthusiast, along with a group of other Nigerian engineers, technologists and scientists got together to design and build the state-of-the-art, concept solar car following an offer to
compete at the biennial technological project.
“We have designed and are building the State-of-the-art Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” Solar Car and look
forward to its possible successes whilst attracting the prospects of commercial adoption and mass
manufacturing as a product to serve the African continent transportation needs.
The complete car is estimated to cost US $650,000 not including other research being developed in partnership with the Wolfram
Research Europe Limited to build the advanced solar car’s intelligence capability,” he explained.
The World Solar Challenge covers 3,021 km through the Australian Outback, from Darwin, Northern Territory to Adelaide, South Australia.
The objective is to promote research on solar-powered cars.
Already, Team Nigeria has successfully completed and achieved proof of concept in its
manufacturing process given the birth of its minimodel, a prototype made of styrofoam which passed through a carefully tailored process and precise chemical cocktail to achieve the final finish that is comparable to any fibre glass finish.
The manufacturing and assembly processes over seen by Team Nigeria Assistant Director of
Fabrication and Engineering, Mr. Dan Mba took 18months.
Currently, Team Nigeria’s intelligent suit which will be worn by the driver(s) of the solar car at the World Solar Challenge in competition is being designed by MUDI Africa at its Anthony Lagos couture Headquarters. The MUDI Sport “9jaBOLT i Suit” as it is called will be impregnated with sensors to cater to the measurement of the driver’s biometrics and state of wellbeing on the 3000+km odyssey across the Darwin – Adelaide outback in
Australia.
Recently, Team NIGERIA held its first speaking engagement event entitled the “American Management Perspective Forum (AMPF)” put
together by Mr. Tobenna Okoli of Solomon Hunt Limited, a Result Engineering Consulting Firm
based in Lagos. At the event with the theme “Contextualising Emerging Trends, Defining
Management Today”, Ebube George discussed the direct impacts of Management styles on Science & Technology growth in Nigeria and
across the African continent.
He spoke on the 9jaBolt project and African Design Medal & Festival billed for August 2015 where the solar car will be formally unveiled by
Mr. President.
The ADMF is widely acknowleged
as “Africa’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize”.
Explaining the benefits, Ebube George argued that the car is designed and engineered to be a
grossly efficient clean energy system where there is no release of emission of any kind and the
manufacturing process is carried out with the most minimal of carbon footprint exposure.
“The conversion of electromagnetic energy of the sun into electrical energy through the use of
photovoltaic cells and that into mechanical energy to drive the car with an electric motor playing a
key role at that point is the simple guiding process that can lead an expert team of savvy technologists to achieve a proof of concept
model.
“One single charge of its lithium ion battery should carry it for up to 550km and possibly over 750km if powered on its own solar cells. And
once drained can be recharged fully in 10hours using a standard power socket at home and in 6-8hours using a commercial power outlet.” He explained.
Further, he noted that given the situation of the drop in global fossil fuel prices the 9jaBOLT has a better eco-friendliness and economic advantage when calculating its efficiency and cost.
“For every 100km covered the 9jaBOLT would cost approximately $0.20 or N37 compared to the
average $15 or N2,790 ($1@N186) for the conventional petrol fuelled automobiles.
The solar car’s windscreen is to be made of e-glass and given our developed and expanding
relationships with firms as GE, EATON Industries, Siemens, Mahindra Commviva, University of Delft et al, Team Nigeria will pick up further invaluable 23rd century technological know-how with
diverse and unique scalable management capability.
“The entire system above can be applied to building designs so as to achieve similar efficiency needed to solve our power problem in
Nigeria’s quest to cater to our population’s energy quandary as well as the coming of rapid
urbanisation and the new media explosion across the country and continent.
“This use of solar panels/arrays and other power system components would be cost effective in the
long run and adequate for the development of low cost urban housing that would be independently
powered with individual structures contributing to a centralised power generator/ecosystem. And
this can be sold to low and middle income families through a properly structured mortgage system,” Ebube George remarked.
agbonaija.com 