Shell Eco-Marathon is a prestigious competition that showcases energy-efficient vehicles that push the boundaries of innovation. 

This year marks a new chapter after five consecutive years of the competition being held in Indonesia, specifically at the Mandalika Circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

Hans Tobias Sihombing, the General Manager of Semar UGM, stated that the Semar UGM team is presenting two of its best vehicles to compete with energy-efficient innovations from numerous international student teams. 

These vehicles are the Semar Urban Hydroz 1.2, powered by hydrogen fuel, and the Semar Proto 4.0, which uses electricity as its primary energy source.

“We aim to bring a grand vision to promote sustainability innovation through this international competition,” Sihombing said in a statement to reporters on Wednesday (Jan. 15).

Sihombing noted that Semar UGM achieved various outstanding accomplishments in previous competitions, such as first place in the Urban Hydrogen Fuel Category, first place in the Prototype Electric Category with a record of 938 km/kWh, first place in the Off-track Data and Telemetry Category, and third place in the Regional Championship. 

“Semar UGM’s achievements in previous years demonstrate the team’s dominance and competence as one of the best in the field of energy-efficient vehicles,” he explained.

Semar UGM’s path to victory was not easy. Great sacrifices had to be made, such as missing final exams, which they had to retake after the competition. 

The team faced tremendous pressure during the competition due to a critical issue. The Semar Proto 4.0 failed the technical inspection until the second day, leaving no opportunity for Semar Proto to practice on the track. 

However, through intense discussions, collaboration, and unwavering determination, Semar Proto 4.0 ultimately claimed 1st place in its category. 

“This experience was a nerve-wracking moment that demonstrated the team’s resilience, dedication, and determination to achieve the best and emerge as champions,” he recalled.

Semar UGM is determined to continue this spirit of innovation as it brings its environmentally friendly vehicle designs closer to implementation on the road. The journey toward this achievement is not done alone. 

Semar UGM is proud to receive support from various partners committed to sustainability, such as PT Petrokimia Gresik, Pos Properti Indonesia, Jericho, PLN, Toyota Astra Motor, Citra Jelajah Informatika, Wefreight, Inalum, Pebsteel, Dharma Precision Parts, and Air Liquide. 

Semar UGM is also continuously open to collaborations with new partners who share the same vision: to create beneficial and sustainable innovations and creations for the world.

Author: Lazuardi

Editor: Gusti Grehenson

Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya

Photo: Semar UGM

Artikel Semar UGM Ready to Compete in 2025 Shell Eco-Marathon in Qatar pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

UGM’s team entered their flagship go-kart, winning 1st place in the Design category and 2nd place in the Class A Electric Go-Kart Race. They outperformed 52 teams from universities across Indonesia.

The UGM team, consisting of Muhammad Idham Novanto (Mechanical Engineering 2020), Muhammad Zuhdi (Mechanical Engineering 2022), Muhammad Raihan Tsani (Mechanical Engineering 2022), Dwi Fikri Mustakim (Mechanical Engineering 2021), Arvian Naufal Zufar (Mechanical Engineering 2020), and Hannan Nur Muhammad (Electrical Engineering 2021), had prepared extensively well before the competition announcement.

Muhammad Zuhdi highlighted that their go-kart had several advantages that justified their win. In the design category, the excellent configuration of mechanical and electrical components demonstrated through actual testing was crucial for securing 1st place in Design. 

The go-kart’s optimal performance, combined with its skilled driver, led it to second place on the podium in Class A. 

“One notable comment from the judges was that UGM’s team was the only one with optimal performance that met electrical constraints during the Qualifying Time Trial (QTT),” Zuhdi recalled on Wednesday (Nov. 13).

Zuhdi also acknowledged the guidance of their advisor, Dr. Jayan Sentanuhady, a lecturer from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Head of the Energy Conversion Laboratory. Dr. Sentanuhady played a vital role from the planning stage to the go-kart construction. 

“We implemented his various suggestions throughout the competition. He also facilitated us with the Innovation Center for Automotive Laboratory when campus support was limited,” he said.

Despite their victory, Zuhdi admitted to feeling anxious as the competition began. Yet, amid the challenges faced during the pre-event, the Semar Racing Kart Team remained enthusiastic and confident in their strategy for the PLN ICE 2024 competition. 

“This competition is not only about winning; it’s about strategy, teamwork, and perseverance,” he shared.

PT PLN Persero, a state-owned company that contributes to developing Indonesia’s electric vehicle ecosystem, organized the competition. 

This inter-university electric go-kart design competition was part of the 79th National Electricity Day celebration and the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, PLN Peduli.

Author: Triya Andriyani  

Photos by: Semar UGM

Artikel UGM Students Win in PLN ICE 2024 Electric Go-Kart Competition pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The Semar UGM team triumphed in Prototype and Urban Concept categories, beating 60 teams from 41 universities across Indonesia.

In the Electric Motor Prototype category, Semar UGM presented its best creation, the Semar Proto 3.2. The Semar Proto UGM team consisted of Adeeb Faiz Ataullah Lubis (Engineering), Rosavira Donel (Engineering), Ahmad Baiquni Pilar Bakrani (Mathematics and Natural Sciences), Nicholas Evandra Pratama (Engineering), Fathiyah Audyna Ramadhani (Mathematics and Natural Sciences), Muhammad Zain Rozikin (Engineering), and Muhammad Iqbal Samhari (Engineering).

Team member Adeeb Faiz Ataullah Lubis shared that Semar UGM’s success was not solely due to the hard work of the competing team members but also thanks to the strong collaboration within the entire Semar UGM community, which remained resilient. 

“During the competition, we scored 938.38 points and eventually secured first place,” said Lubis during an online interview on Tuesday (Oct. 15).

A similar success occurred in the Urban Electric Motor category, where Semar UGM entered the ‘Semar Urban Electric 1.0.’ 

The team, comprising Gregorius Haposan Purba (Mathematics and Natural Sciences), Hans Tobias Sihombing (Engineering), Avatar Fawwazthana Susatyo (Engineering), Renaldi Adha (Engineering), Muhammad Ghani Prayatna (Engineering), Nathaniel Benelisha (Engineering), and Ahmad Mauluddin Huda (Mathematics and Natural Sciences), won first place with a score of 298.3 points.

Hans Tobias Sihombing, who also serves as Semar UGM’s General Manager, expressed hope that this achievement would inspire Semar UGM to continue innovating and creating. 

“We hope to bring pride to UGM in other national and international competitions,” he stated.

The energy-efficient car contest, themed “Energy Efficiency for the Nation,” is organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology through the Indonesian Talent Development Center (BPTI). 

This year, KMHE participants were tasked with creating energy-efficient vehicles in two categories: Prototype and Urban Concept. 

The event also serves as proof of students’ creative and innovative work, demonstrating the implementation of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program.

KMHE is part of the talent development initiative by the Ministry of Education, focusing on research and innovation. 

The competition aims to address future energy challenges and raise public awareness about energy-saving efforts, promoting the creation of environmentally friendly vehicles. 

Energy-efficient vehicles are not merely a trend but a necessity that must be realized now and in the future.

Author: Triya Andriyani

Photo: Semar UGM

Artikel Semar UGM Wins First Place in 2024 Energy-Efficient Car Contest pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The Semar team will compete against more than 80 teams from 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.

Fikri Wahyudi, the General Manager of Semar UGM, stated that the Semar team would compete in two categories: Urban Concept and Prototype vehicles. 

“There are usually six categories in the competition. The Semar team will compete in two categories: Urban Hydrogen and Electric Battery Prototype,” said Wahyudi on Tuesday (Jun. 18).

Wahyudi mentioned that they had already tested the two cars at Mandala Krida to prepare for the competition. 

“We are researching the motor controller. We are improving the motor control and wiring because we are learning from last year’s experiences and mistakes,” he said.

Wahyudi is optimistic that the innovations and improvements to the two energy-efficient cars they developed will help them achieve the best results and win first place in the two categories they are participating in.

In the same competition last year, the Semar Urban team won the Hydrogen Fuel category, beating the HYD12OGEN Team from Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, which came in second, and the TP Eco Flash Team from Temasek Polytechnic, which took third place.

In this competition, Semar Urban achieved the best mileage of 276.4 kilometers per cubic meter. This achievement surpassed the HYD12OGEN Team from Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, which achieved 238.4 kilometers per cubic meter, and the TP Eco Flash Team from Temasek Polytechnic, which reached 129.9 kilometers per cubic meter.

In addition to the urban concept category, the Semar team competes in the prototype category. This competition is aimedat very efficient lightweight vehicles, which generally have three wheels and are designed to reduce drag and maximize efficiency.

For this year’s competition, the Semar team comprises 22 students from the Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering departments of the Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM) and the Electronics and Instrumentation department of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM).

Author: Gusti Grehenson

Artikel UGM Semar Team Gears Up to Defend Title at Shell Eco-marathon with Hydrogen and Electric Prototypes pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The competition, held by the Ministry of Education, saw the participation of 60 teams, with 600 participants from 42 universities across Indonesia.

Zaenudin, representing the UGM Directorate of Student Affairs, stated that for this competition, the Semar Proto team consisted of 25 members, including 22 students from the Faculty of Engineering and three from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. 

“The Semar team participated in two categories: the electric motor prototype category and the urban gasoline category,” said Zaenudin in his statement to the press on Wednesday (November 8).

According to Zaenudin, the selection of these two categories aligns with the type of car the Semar team is developing. 

“The prototype car researched and designed by the Semar team has always focused on the electric proto and urban gasoline,” he explained.

In this competition, the Semar team deliberately combined senior and junior members. Placing junior team members is expected to provide new experiences for students recently joining the energy-efficient car development. 

“This team always undergoes regeneration, where each administration will have senior members who are the core team and have previously participated in previous competitions,” he added.

“In addition, junior members are new members whose duty is to assist and learn so that they are ready to become the core team in the coming years.”

Not only winning the competition but the experience gained by Semar members in each participation is also expected to enhance substantive technical knowledge related to science and technology development, as well as practical administrative experience such as leadership and organizational experience, communication, and collaboration.

“There is also the experience of interacting with students from all over Indonesia who participate in the competition,” Zaenudin added.

Author: Gusti Grehenson

Artikel Semar Wins 1st Place in Energy Efficient Car Contest pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

With an impressive distance of 276.4 kilometers per cubic meter, Semar Urban outperformed Nanyang Technological University’s HYD12OGEN team, who covered 238.4 kilometers per cubic meter, in the second position, and Temasek Polytechnic’s TP Eco Flash team, who came in third, achieving 129.9 kilometers per cubic meter.

In the prototype category, Semar Proto was followed by IMEI TEAM from Muhammadiyah University Sidoarjo and ANTAWIRYA EV from Diponegoro University. The UGM team reached an impressive distance of 780 km/Kwh, while IMEA TEAM covered 749 km/Kwh, and ANTAWIRYA EV achieved 645 km/Kwh.

Semar Manager Adzim Mardiansjah (Mechanical Engineering) expressed his pride and joy in the team’s remarkable achievements. He felt satisfied with the team’s thorough preparation and execution of the competition.

“We are happy, proud, and grateful because, in addition to winning two Shell Eco-Marathon trophies, we feel that we have maximized this competition as a learning experience and performed optimally,” he stated in Lombok on Tuesday (11/7).

He mentioned that it was a pleasant surprise for the Semar Urban team to achieve the best performance in the hydrogen category in their debut competition. In addition, the success of Semar Proto in the prototype category showcased the team’s contribution to mechanical design, with their car being the lightest at only 27 kg.

“For hydrogen, it was our first time competing in this category. We are grateful that we have been busy manufacturing and preparing this car well for the past eight months. Alhamdulillah, beyond our expectations, we became champions,” he explained.

Mardiansjah revealed that Semar involved 28 students in the 2023 Shell Eco-Marathon. Most team members were from the Faculty of Engineering, and a few were from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (Electronics and Instrumentation).

As the team manager, he acknowledged that their biggest challenge was ensuring all members played their roles to the fullest. It was essential to have everyone contribute 100% to the team’s success.

“Hence, we genuinely feel that this is a valuable experience. Through this competition, we have gained maximum learning experiences. Without activities like this, as students, our experiences would be limited, and this serves as a platform for us to unleash our potential,” he emphasized.

Dr. Jayan Sentanuhady, Semar’s supporting lecturer, expressed the same gratitude. He attributed the team’s achievements to students’ hard work, who dedicated a year of their college journey to improving the Proto Electric car and developing the Hydrogen car.

“UGM aimed to secure both trophies. Over the past ten years, we usually only managed to get one champion title, either first or second place. Alhamdulillah, this year we won both first places,” he said.

He added that although both cars were still prototypes, they hoped that their technologies could be adopted or used for the benefit of society in the future. He believed the electric prototype and urban hydrogen cars were highly applicable.

“Regarding hydrogen, we are collaborating with PLN in development, such as applications for generating electricity from hydrogen in underserved areas. This demonstrates how the technologies being developed by UGM can be utilized or applied to areas or communities without electricity,” he explained.

Author: Agung Nugroho

Photo: Jawa Pos

Artikel UGM’s Semar Sweeps 2 Prizes at 2023 Shell Eco-Marathon pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

This energy-efficient vehicle innovation competition is attended by 77 teams from 13 countries, including 47 teams from Indonesia, four teams from China, two teams from India, three teams from Malaysia, two teams from the Philippines, two teams from Qatar, three teams from Saudi Arabia, two teams from Singapore, five teams from Thailand, and three teams from Vietnam. There are also participants from Kazakhstan with two groups, and Brunei Darussalam and South Korea with one team each.

Reynolds Widhiyanurrochmansyach, the coordinator for fuel cell development for Urban Hydroz and a UGM student from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, stated that Semar Urban Hydroz runs on hydrogen fuel, which is considered more fuel-efficient. 

“This vehicle utilizes advanced technology to generate electrical power through the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen inside the fuel cell,” said Widhiyanurrochmansyach in a press release sent to journalists on Thursday (6/7).

“It produces pure water emissions as the only byproduct, making it a completely emission-free and environmentally friendly vehicle.” 

In addition to being fueled by hydrogen, the team also conducted intensive development to optimize the aerodynamic design of Urban Hydroz. 

“Reducing drag and minimizing air friction on the vehicle’s body enhances the energy efficiency used to propel the vehicle,” he explained.

Furthermore, lightweight and robust materials, such as carbon fiber and aluminum, reduce the vehicle’s weight without sacrificing strength and safety. 

“These materials improve energy efficiency and overall vehicle performance,” he added.

The Semar Urban Hydroz team comprises dedicated UGM students who have worked hard to design and build a vehicle that combines future technology, environmental friendliness, and sustainability. 

In the fierce competition against the best teams worldwide, the UGM team aims to win one of the awards in the hydrogen fuel efficiency category.

Prior to participating in this competition, the Semar Urban Hydroz team underwent rigorous testing and simulations. They have invested significant time and effort to optimize their vehicle for the best performance.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to participate in the 2023 Shell Eco-Marathon. Our vehicle is a testament to our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and the environment. We hope to make a positive contribution to the future of environmentally friendly transportation,” said Jayan Sentanuhady, the advisor of Semar UGM.

Author: Gusti Grehenson

Photo: Semar

Artikel Semar Urban Hydroz, Energy-Efficient Car by UGM Students, Competes in 2023 Shell Eco-Marathon in Mandalika pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.