Ahmadu Bello University Produces two Marathon Cars

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU) had made a giant stride in the areas of automobile engineering by producing two Marathon cars namely ‘Abufeng’ and ‘Abucar II’ . The block bursting ‘Abucar II’ participated in the Road Show, organized by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, Nigeria in Lagos in March 2015 and came out tops by passing all the technical tests. The tests included safety, ergonomics, energy efficient, body and interior design as well as overall weight. The special innovations in ‘Abucar II’ range from a Rear-View Camera System, a Soft-Touch gear selection system and a Rain Sensitive Wiper System.

Mechanical Engineering Department is under the Faculty of Engineering, the oldest Faculty and one of the leading Engineering Schools in Nigeria and indeed in the West African Sub-region. The Faculty started in 1955 as a Faculty of Engineering of the University College, Ibadan and was based in the then Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology (N.C.A.S.T.), Zaria, when Ahmadu Bello University was opened in October, 1962. It took over responsibility for engineering education from N.C.A.S.T. and thus, the Faculty of Engineering of Ahmadu Bello University was born. ABU was established in 1962 to impart knowledge and learning to men and women of all races without distinction on the grounds of race, religious or political beliefs. No doubt, ABU has been a achieving tremendous successes in this regard and the development of these cars is one of its numerous achievements over the last five decades.

The production of ‘Abufeng’ and ‘Abucar II’ was inspired by Shell Eco Marathon, an annual global event that started in 1939 in Wood River, Illinois, United States of America with the aim of driving a car and achieving optimal fuel efficiency. The event has metamorphosed to more objectives for encouraging young people from all over the world to design, build and drive ultra energy efficient cars at the marathon. Over the years, the event has been split into global regions to involve more young people and researchers in tertiary institutions. There exist the European, Americas, Asia and more recently, Shell Eco Marathon Africa hosted by South Africa

The Shell Eco Marathon has not only provided an opportunity for continuous research into fuel efficient vehicles, but has also given an opportunity for young sculptors to veer into car body design and production. It has also increased experimentations and innovations in auto electronics by undergraduates, young researchers and their mentors. Hopefully, the Shell Eco Marathon as it seems is providing a foundation for the take-off of a realistic Nigerian indigenous car industry.