The NE1 Newcastle Motor show will also give people a glimpse of the Bloodhound SSC supersonic car – the world's most powerful rocket and engine-fuelled land vehicle, boasting 135,000bhp
The NE1 Newcastle Motor Show will feature an electric racing car built by Northumbria University students
Visitors to this year’s NE1 Newcastle Motor Show will be given a glimpse into the future of automotive technology as an electric racing car will be on display.
The Formula-style motorsport car was designed and built by a team of students from Northumbria University.
It will be on display in Grey Street, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne city centre, during the annual motor show that takes place this weekend (Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 August).
Dr Ulugbek Azimov, programme leader in automotive engineering at the university, supervised the student team of John Mills, Alex Damms, Louis Matthews, Matt Capon and Nathan Washington.
They built the electric racing car for the national Formula Student competition, a multi-university student design project managed by the UK’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers in which students were tasked with creating a prototype for a Formula-style race car.
NE1 Newcastle Motor Show provides ideal platform to showcase innovation
Dr Azimov said: “At Northumbria we teach our students about the practical application of engineering.
“Taking part in the Formula Student project this year has provided a brilliant platform for students to learn mechanical and automotive engineering theories and develop new techniques.
“We know there is a growing need from the automotive industry for university courses to provide experience in applying theoretical understanding to real problems.
“By giving our students this kind of opportunity we are equipping them with the skills and experience they will need when it comes to starting their careers.”
Last year, a team of Northumbria students constructed a car powered by bioethanol, a renewable fuel made from agricultural crops or recycled wastes and residues, which produces fewer emissions and greenhouse gases than traditional petrol or diesel.
It was this focus on automotive innovation that led to the university being invited to exhibit at the NE1 Newcastle Motor Show.
Ben Whitfield, marketing and events manager for Newcastle NE1 Ltd, which organises the event, said: “One of our goals this year is to include a focus on electric vehicles, advances in motoring technology and showcasing technological advancements.
“We heard about the work going on at Northumbria University and were keen to showcase this to our visitors at this year’s event.”
Bloodhound supercar is main attraction of NE1 Newcastle Motor Show
More than 100,000 visitors are expected to visit the NE1 Newcastle Motor Show over two days, with other attractions including the Bloodhound SSC supersonic car – the world’s most powerful rocket and engine-fuelled land vehicle, boasting 135,000bhp.
Stunt driver Paul Swift will also carry out a number of displays, with a wide variety of car dealers lining the streets of the city with some of their latest models, including Aston Martin, Lexus, Tesla, BMW and Mini, as well as others.