Students vroom into the future with hydrogen-powered offroad vehicles

At the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET), beyond the usual buzz of classes, labs, and fun, a group of students is busy building race-ready vehicles from scratch.

- PARVANA K B

Herakles Racing, founded in 2017 by a few car enthusiasts, is now one of CET's most sought-after clubs, with over 300 students vying for a place on its 50-member team.

The team was initially built to represent CET in Baja SAEINDIA Racing Circuit, a national-level competition challenging engineering students to build off-road vehicles.

Over the past few years, it has shifted gears from petrol engines to electric and now, hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Recently, CET's vehicle running on a blend of CNG and minimal hydrogen exceeded expectations. The team secured second place in the H-BAJA hydrogen category and clinched third place in endurance, sled-pull, and cost segments.

"There was barely any difference between our virtual and actual vehicle performance," says Rinin Krishna, the team's vice-captain. For the club, building a vehicle is not just about assembling parts.