I worked on Duke Electric Vehicles through the 2024-25 academic year as a mechanical team co-leader as we made a push to build a new urban concept vehicle in time for the 2025 Shell Eco-Marathon energy efficiency competition in Indianapolis, Indiana. Using CAD and CNC machining, I designed and built a proprietary rear drivetrain to power the vehicle. We brought our vehicle to the competition but failed to pass technical inspections, and were unable to log an official run. However, we accomplished our main goal of reviving the club and starting a new design. In the 2025-26 year, I will take the role of Vehicle Dynamics Team Leader as our club aims to redesign key parts of our vehicle to compete more fully in the 2026 competition.
Due to constraints of a small mechanical team, I designed the rear drivetrain individually with SOLIDWORKS. The rear drivetrain transmits power from dual motors through planetary gearboxes to independent axles. I machined braces for the motors, gearboxes, and bearings using on-campus waterjets, CNC drill presses, and CNC lathes.