It's bright orange and as much as 75% recyclable: Phoenix, the new car from TU/ecomotive. Behind the impressive four-wheeler, which the team recently presented to the world, is a dedicated student team that has been in existence since 2012. IO spoke with current team manager Tim van Grinsven and team manager from 2017, Jelle Vonk, about their experiences. “The garage becomes your second living room, and the team feels like family,” says Van Grinsven.
TU/ecomotive is facing an exciting period. A series of events is coming up: the team is going to present the brand-new car to universities and companies. With Phoenix, the students have taken a big step forward in sustainability compared to the current generation of cars on the road, which are only 21% recyclable.
Van Grinsven currently leads the team. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in the pocket and, in addition to the many hours he puts into his team, is currently working on his master's degree. “Yes, it’s hard work,” he admits. You don't put together a brand new car overnight. “I'm taking two courses, but honestly, every now and then I skip college. I'm not the only one, by the way. Many students sometimes skip lectures to work on the car. That's not always the wisest choice, but it does show how motivated everyone is. You also gain a lot from such an experience at TU/ecomotive. Especially after your studies.”
A lot of hard work: that is the fate of a team manager. Vonk recognizes this like no other. He currently works as a consultant at Ricardo Rail, but in 2017 he managed the team. “At the time, I only took one course in the whole year and otherwise worked full-time on the car, sometimes 50 to 80 hours a week. In one year, you pretty much gain five years of work experience.”
His year's car was called Noah. A completely different model than Phoenix, but they have the sustainable aspect in common. Both cars are fully electric. Plus, “it's a biobased car with composites made from flax fibers and plastic made from sugar beet.”
So the team was able to learn from a clever electronics idea developed in 2017. Says Vonk, “We came up with a concept for modular electronics. This allowed us to easily connect the 'smart' computing components to the 'dumb' components. If something breaks, you only have to replace either the smart or the dumb part. That's how you save on materials. This system is also integrated into the Phoenix. So, even though we come up with a new design every year, we learn from previous teams, so TU/ecomotive comes up with better and better cars.”
Through the Advisory Board, which consists of former team members, the current team receives valuable tips, for example on electronics and design. Vonk was also active on this council. “We give advice on partners. I know from experience that sometimes you can suffer from tunnel vision. Then you have your design all finished, and then you start talking to a new partner who says, 'Why not do it differently?' Sometimes they have a point, sometimes they don't. So picking up the phone in time and calling partners: that's some advice I often give them.”
Milestones
Both men have experienced their own milestones at TU/ecomotive. For Van Grinsven, a milestone was seeing car parts come to live at partner companies. “Our car consists of large 3D components, and it's nice to see them come to life with a large printer. You've been looking at that part on your computer screen for a month, and then it's finally there.” One example is the interior, which was printed as one part with a robotic arm at CEAD, a company in Delft. Currently, the team is working with 33 partners.
Vonk recalls that fitting the entire puzzle gave him particular satisfaction. “In the end, everything has to come together: mechanically, electrically and in terms of design. For example, the electric powertrain has to fit perfectly with the chassis, and that requires cooperation between two completely different sub teams. When that moment finally arrives, it really is an amazing experience.”
Challenges
Life as a team manager is not all about roses. Besides the long days, they face more challenges. Says Vonk, “I sometimes struggled with representing the interests of the team and our partners. I wanted to help the team move forward, of course, but at the same time there are expectations from the partners. For example, we agreed to be at trade shows or events, while you also need your team members very much to put the car together.”
Van Grinsven recognizes that. “Also, shuttling between the different disciplines within the team can be a huge challenge. We have an electrical, mechanical and design team, and those teams regularly have completely different opinions. The design team sometimes wants to create something impossible, while the mechanical team often wants to keep a design as simple as possible. Finding a middle ground is sometimes really difficult.” There can also be bickering around who gets to tinker with the car. Between 10 and 20 students are involved. “We have sometimes had to send people home. Then they were already waiting two hours to get started.”
Teamwork
Despite all the struggles, the two gentlemen managed to deliver a car within the deadline. “We did a great job after all,” says Vonk (laughs). “Not alone of course, but with the whole team.”
Both team managers agree: it is wonderful to see students' growth. “In the beginning, some do not yet know exactly what they are doing, but by the end the confidence radiates from them,” notes Van Grinsven. Vonk nods in agreement: “It's great to see how, toward the end of the year, they manage to form a professional opinion.”
The garage as a living room
The two team managers still speak to each other regularly. And that's no exception to the rule. “Former team members regularly walk in the door at TU/ecomotive,” says Vonk. “It naturally creates a bond; you work together on a project for months on end.” Van Grinsven adds, “You have breakfast, lunch and dinner together. It's almost like the garage is your new living room, and the team is your family.”
The team visits Dutch Design Week and a fair in Munich. Visits to three technical universities in Sweden, Denmark and Germany are also scheduled. Then the team will visit several car manufacturers, including Volvo. A full schedule, but with a clear goal. The students hope to inspire car manufacturers to design cars circularly.
At the same time, the new team launched two weeks ago. Van Grinsven, who will join the Advisory Board, is positive: “I can't wait to see what the next car is going to be like!”