Chem-E Car

Project Snapshot

Be part of a hands-on student project where you’ll design and build a small vehicle powered entirely by chemical reactions. Learn first-hand about chemical engineering, mechanical design, electronics, and precision control systems while gaining practical teamwork and project management experience. 

About Us

The Chem-E-Car UNSW Student Project team is a unique opportunity for students to increase their employability in the Chemical Engineering and broader STEM industries.

Team members learn first-hand how to design and develop components of a small, student-built vehicle powered entirely by chemical reactions, as well as gain experience in manufacturing techniques, project management, and complex problem-solving skills. It is a great opportunity for students to form a basic understanding of process design, albeit at a smaller scale.

Formed to compete international Chem-E-Car competitions, and eventually host one, the team’s efforts mostly focus on designing, testing, and optimising cars to travel precise target distances safely and efficiently. Members of this team will participate in multidisciplinary teams, as the car would require the development of control systems, circuits, use of innovativechemical reaction, additive manufacturing, and CAD design; thereby, providing hands-on experience for all students.

The team was formed to participate in competitions, such as AIChE’s Chem-E-Car competition, to compete with other universities. By fostering healthy competition, this opportunity challenges students in applying fundamental engineering principles in the real-world. Therefore, this experience would allow student to gain technical knowledge, as well as experience with leadership, communication, and collaboration.