Mechanical Engineering Team Welds Comeback, Wins Two National Trophies

A team of six U of A mechanical engineering seniors proved that grit is just as important as gears, returning from their inaugural appearance at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' e-Human Powered Vehicle Competition (e-HPVC) with two national trophies.

Competing in Dallas, Texas, against 25 established programs from across the United States, the U of A team secured second place in the Endurance Race and third place overall.

The e-HPVC challenges students to design, build and race electrically assisted human-powered vehicles. For the U of A team, the vehicle served as their senior capstone project, led by faculty adviser David Jensen.

While the team started strong—earning fourth place in the Design category—disaster struck during the drag race. A major mechanical malfunction threatened to end their weekend early. Refusing to accept defeat, the students rallied, sourcing replacement parts and borrowing a welder from a rival team. After a marathon repair session that lasted late into the night, the vehicle was ready for the next day's main event.

"In that moment, it was hard not to be discouraged or second-guess design choices made six months prior," said team leader Daniel Schrick. "Once emotions settled, it really came down to not accepting defeat."

The perseverance paid off. During the 2.5-hour endurance race, the U of A vehicle was the fastest off the line, maintaining a dominant lead for most of the event. The team completed 64 laps—totaling nearly 30 miles—while navigating a complex course of curves, bumps and "grocery pick-up" utility challenges.

The team's success in its first year of competition marks a significant milestone for the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

"I am extremely proud of the team's perseverance. Scoring so high in the first year is a major accomplishment," said Jensen, associate professor of mechanical engineering. Jensen plans to establish future cross-campus collaborations to grow the program.

Steve Tung, Mechanical Engineering Department head, echoed the sentiment. "Competing in national competitions is a great learning experience. It's very impressive that the team performed so well with a newly established project."