The official team of POLITECNICO DI MILANO that competes in the Shell Eco-marathon
Mission
“Climate change and the need of sustainable energy are driving a shift to low-emission mobility.
Clean and energy efficient vehicles play an important role in the global challenge of reduction of CO2 emissions.
Innovative solutions are required for an efficient and environmentally friendly mobility.
In this background, the international competition Shell Eco-marathon takes place.
”
“The program offers a collaborative platform aimed at achieving a practical experience in the maximization of energy
efficiency. The main goal of the project is to motivate, in the form of a motor competition, the involved teams to design and realize
ultra-efficient road vehicles. The competition is addressed to teams of students coming from high school and university institutions of
all the World. ”
“Since 2005 the Mechanical Engineering Department of Politecnico di Milano has been supporting a research group that
develops high efficient vehicles to participate in this competition. ”
“The team is composed by students, who gather their theoretical knowledges and practical abilities to design and realize
the vehicle. The involved students take care of the entire developing process of the vehicle, starting from the design phase up
to the realization and on-track testing.”
Team structure
MANAGEMENT: the main task is to manage and coordinate the work of all team members. Every year, the seasonal
objectives are established and the team is formed.
The experience, gained over many seasons within the team, is the basis for doing this task to the
best. Another task is the management of relations with sponsors and suppliers.
CHASSIS & SUBSYSTEMS: this group is responsible for designing, manufacturing and assembling the chassis and the
other subsystems. The design process is carried out through the use of advanced
CAD softwares and Finite Element simulations.
The members of this group are also experts in composite materials processing.
DRIVETRAIN: this group is responsible for the design of the drivetrain of the vehicle. The main working areas of
this group involve the motors, the transmission system and the wheel hubs.
STRATEGY & ELECTRONICS: the main task of this group is the development and realization of a reliable and
efficient electrical system. Accurate numerical models are developed to simulate the
behaviour of the vehicle and optimize the race strategy.
Several on-track tests are carried out, in order to acquire data and validate the
numerical models.
AERODYNAMICS: this group is responsible for defining the external shape of the vehicle body, with the aim of
optimizing its aerodynamic efficiency. Fluid dynamic analyses are carried out by means of
CFD simulations.
COMMUNICATION: the task is to manage the social media and the team website. A communication plan is defined
at the beginning of the season. Communication channels are constantly updated to show the team’s
route to the Shell Eco Marathon competition.
People
Pietro Stabile
Team manager
Davide Egidio Di Lascio
Chassis & Subsystems
Alessandro Cavallè
Chassis & Subsystems
Alessandro Giussani
Chassis & Subsystems
Andrea Rongoni
Drivetrain
Daniele Bertucco
Drivetrain
Riccardo Marzio
Drivetrain
Giacomo Bertocchi
Strategy & Electronics
Dario Ghezzi
Strategy & Electronics
Daniele Miti
Strategy & Electronics
Jonathan Capuana
Aerodynamics
Stefano Zeni
Aerodynamics
William Riva
Aerodynamics
Susanna Ingignoli
Communication
Our Vehicles
Starting from the second generation of prototypes, the name with which the vehicles are designated refers to deities of Greek mythology. Artemis (Artemide), goddess of the moon, is the daughter of Zeus and Latona (Leto) and twin sister of Apollo.
Leto
This vehicle was born in 2019 and belongs to the Urban Concept battery electric category.
The chassis consists of a CFRP structure designed according to lightweight, stiffness, manufacturability and ergonomics criteria.
The external shape has been derived from fluid dynamic analyses aimed at maximizing the aerodynamic efficiency.
Daphne
In 2011, the team decided to join the Urban Concept category, giving birth to a new vehicle called Daphne.
Its layout is like a standard urban car, with four wheels (steering at the front axle and driving at the rear).
The monocoque is made of CFRP, designed to obtain the best aerodynamic performances, recalling a water drop in order to minimize the wind resistance.
The vehicle is powered by two 200 W electric DC brushed motors and the power is provided by a Li-ion battery. The tyres are designed on purpose by Michelin in order to obtain low rolling resistance.
The vehicle was subjected to many evolutions over the years.
The best performance of Daphne was reached at the Shell Eco-marathon 2018, with a consuption of 130 km/kWh.
Apollo
Apollo is the evolution of ARTEMIDE: it was introduced just one year later (2010) and it is a prototype powered by solar energy.
The main innovation consists in the adoption of a photovoltaic cell system installed on a wing body at the rear end. The body is the result of in-depth structural and fluid dynamics analysis aimed at maximizing aerodynamic efficiency and stiffness as well as minimizing the mass.
It is still the most successful vehicle realised by the team for this competition.
In 2010 it won the American competition, distancing the vehicle in second place of about three times. Few months later, Apollo won the European edition and got the lowest consumption ever made in the Shell Eco-marathon competition: 796 km/kWh corresponding to 7070 km/l.
In the 2011 edition of Shell Eco-marathon Apollo improved the record and established a new world record of 1108 km/kWh, corresponding to an astonishing 9757 km/l of equivalent consumption of gasoline, the lowest energy consumption ever made by a vehicle in the Shell Eco-marathon competition.
ARTEMIDE
ARTEMIDE was introduced in 2009.
It is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and its design is strongly optimized thanks to the experience gained during the years in Shell Eco-marathon.
The chassis consists of a CFRP monocoque, allowing a great mass reduction and a better aerodynamic design.
It has two wheels at the front axle and one steering and driving wheel at the rear axis. The name is an acronym of the words:
Aerodinamica (Aerodynamics)
Resistenza (Resistance)
Telaio (Frame)
Elettronica (Electronics)
Modellazione (Modelling)
Idrogeno (Hydrogen)
DEsign
In 2009 ARTEMIDE established the Italian record for fuel cell prototypes equal to 2741 km/l and won the Shell Eco Marathon Design Award.
Why not?
Why not? is the first vehicle with which Politecnico di Milano participated to Shell Eco-marathon in 2005.
Characterized by a chassis made of aluminium tubes, it was firstly powered by a gasoline engine and then converted to a hydrogen-electric vehicle in 2008.
The body is made of carbon fiber and the shape, designed to reduce losses due to air resistance, comes from studies and simulations carried out in the wind tunnel.
The front wheels have a lenticular profile and they are made of carbon fiber to obtain high stiffness and allow to minimize weight and fluid dynamic losses.
The prototype has a belt transmission system, with a centrifugal clutch. The clutch is directly mounted in the rear wheel rim made of aluminum alloy.
This innovative technical solution allowed to win the 2007 "Bosch Technical Innovation Award".
In 2008, Why not? scored an equivalent fuel consumption of 1931 km/l, obtaining the Italian record for hydrogen-fuelled prototype.
History and main results
2019
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon Europe Location: Brookland Circuit, London, UK Vehicle: Leto Category: Urban Concept, battery electric Result: 4th place with 184 km/kWh
2018
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon Europe Location: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, UK Vehicle: Daphne Category: Urban Concept, battery electric Result: 5th place with 130 km/kWh
2016
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon Europe Location: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, UK Vehicle: Daphne Category: Urban Concept, battery electric Result: 5th place with 105 km/kWh
2013
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon Europe Location: Rotterdam, NED Vehicle: Daphne Category: Urban Concept, battery electric Result: 6th place with 165 km/kWh
2011
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon Europe Location: Lausitz EuroSpeedway, Lausitz, GER Vehicle: Apollo Category: Prototype, solar Result: 1st place and NEW WORLD RECORD! with 1108 km/kWh Vehicle: Daphne Category: Urban Concept, battery electric Result: 7th place with 125 km/kWh
2010
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon Europe Location: Rockingham Motor Speedway, UK Vehicle: Apollo Category: Prototype, solar Result: 1st place and NEW WORLD RECORD! with 796 km/kWh
2010
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon America Location: Discovery Green Park, Houston, USA Vehicle: Apollo Category: Prototype, solar Result: 1st place
2009
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon Europe Location: Lausitz EuroSpeedway, Lausitz, GER Vehicle: Artemide Category: Prototype, hydrogen Result: Vehicle Design Award for Prototype category
2008
Competition: Shell Eco Marathon Europe Location: Rockingham Motor Speedway, UK Vehicle: Why Not? Category: Prototype, hydrogen Result: New Italian record of category with 1931 km/l