Projet Esteban

Committed to Developing Healthier Energy Alternatives

The only thing the members of the Esteban project need to travel 3,000 km across the Australian desert is a blazing sun. Obviously, this is because their car, Esteban V, is powered by solar energy. In a nutshell, Esteban is a synergy between technology and the environment, between student commitment, ingenuity and passion.

“The Esteban project is a club of 25 engineering students at the École Polytechnique de Montréal with a concern for the environment,” explains Alexandra Duron, the team’s spokeswoman. The students channel this concern by creating a solar-powered car and thus contribute to the search for alternative energy sources.

Vehicles powered by solar energy are far from new and there is substantial literature available on the subject. However, the advantage of having access to such information becomes relative when innovation is required. This is precisely the challenge that the Esteban project members were faced with: to innovate beyond the beaten path. For this reason, the whole process is spread out over a two-year period.

From aerodynamics to the geometry of systems, from composite materials to electrical systems, all avenues are explored to allow the innovative minds of the team members to come up with brilliant ideas. These concepts must then be integrated into a solar car. “And the university laboratories and workshops quickly become a home away from home for the members of the club,” points out Alexandra.

As the students are entirely responsible for all the stages of the project, they quickly become aware of the disparity between the university milieu and the job market. Material support, funding, the search for components in catalogues, the management of manufacturing lead times for complex parts, relations with suppliers: experience goes far beyond what is learned in the classroom.

And finally, the moment of truth will arrive in the fall of 2009, when the team and Esteban V head for Australia. Held every two years, the Panasonic World Solar Challenge provides a spectacular platform for solar energy and, thanks to the Esteban project, for promoting Québec ingenuity. The solar-powered cars are subjected to the ultimate test: they must travel a distance of 3,000 km from Darwin to Adelaide on a road in the middle of the desert and Esteban V will try to rank higher than its predecessor, which obtained an honourable 13th place. Until then, the students will continue to perfect their car and promote solar energy by presenting it throughout Québec. “This aspect of the project is an essential part of the adventure because all accomplished engineers must be able to explain their ideas and make them accessible to the general public,” the spokeswoman points out.

Their presence at the Salon national de l'environnement and the Montréal Champ Car will allow them to talk with members of the public and demystify alternative technologies. Because of the racing car’s spectacular appearance, it has become a true darling at the festivals where it is exhibited.

During their two-year period with the Esteban project, these truly versatile engineering students will acquire the confidence and maturity necessary for the job market. As the members of the Esteban�� project so eloquently put it: “It is a gateway to a career that is open to the future and to the world.”

Projet Esteban