From STEVE to SALLY: UAlberta EcoCars Accelerate Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology

This April at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway—famous for roaring muscle cars—a team of award-winning UAlberta engineering students will unveil SALLY, their sixth hydrogen fuel cell car, at Shell Eco-marathon 2025.

The Shell Eco-marathon challenges student teams worldwide to design, build, and drive vehicles that push the limits of fuel efficiency. Among these passionate innovators is the University of Alberta EcoCar Team , a group of students leading the way in hydrogen fuel cell technology.

The Shell Eco-marathon isn't your typical race. Instead of focusing on speed, it's all about efficiency. Teams compete in categories based on energy types like hydrogen fuel cells, battery/electric, gasoline, and diesel. They aim to create a vehicle that can travel the farthest using the least energy while maintaining an average speed of at least 24 km/h over a set distance. This focus on efficiency encourages teams to explore alternative energy sources and innovative design strategies, fostering a new generation of engineers committed to sustainability.

Shell Eco-marathon 2025 will be this April at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Among the UAlberta team sponsors are the Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta , Toyota North America, 泰克 , and Swagelok Edmonton | Drayton | Fort McMurray . The team brings together students in various specialties from engineering to arts to gain hands-on experience researching, designing, building, promoting, and racing vehicles. Students also develop skills in project management and corporate relations.

Over the years, they've developed an impressive lineup of vehicles. Their journey began with STEVE (2010-2015), an urban concept car powered by a Horizon H-1000 XP 1kW fuel cell. STEVE won first place in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas (SEMA) 2014 and second place in 2012. It was featured in the Edmonton Journal and The Gateway. This early success showcased the team's commitment to hydrogen technology.?

Next came ALICE (2016-2018), another urban concept car equipped with a Ballard 46-cell, 40V fuel cell. ALICE achieved an efficiency of 490 MPGe, roughly 800 km on one gallon of hydrogen. The car participated in the Driver’s World Championship Competition and won first place in SEMA 2016.

The team then developed SOFIE (2017-2019), a prototype vehicle powered by a Ballard 28-cell, 20V fuel cell. SOFIE achieved an astounding efficiency of 1,927 MPGe, approximately 3,000 km on one gallon of hydrogen. The car secured first place in SEMA 2017 and 2019, and received the Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Most Innovative Hydrogen Newcomer Awards in 2019.

KATE (2020-2023), an urban concept car with an efficiency of 490 MPGe, continued the team's legacy. Recognized among 67 international teams in the Shell Pitch the Future Competition, KATE placed in the top three internationally in Tracking and Reducing CO2 Emissions.

Their latest and most efficient car yet is LUCY (2024), a prototype powered by a Ballard 28-cell, 20V fuel cell. LUCY achieves 323 km/m3, roughly 4,000 km on one kilogram of hydrogen. The vehicle won first place in SEMA 2024, along with the Safety Award and the Spirit of Shell Eco-marathon Award.

Collaborative efforts and support

The EcoCar Team's achievements are a testament to their dedication and skill. They appreciate the encouragement and support from various partners and sponsors. In 2024, Swagelok Edmonton’s Clean Energy Team provided hydrogen-compatible parts, application support, training, design review, and leak detection services. These resources are also available to the team in 2025 as they work on optimizing their vehicle's performance and ensuring safety standards are met. Key contacts at Swagelok Edmonton include:

• Andrew Worthington , Account Manager, serves as a primary point of contact and assists with any team inquiries.
• James Dickie , Certified Swagelok Field Advisor and Trainer, offers training programs like the Swagelok Training Essentials Program and new Swagelok Regulator Selection and Troubleshooting Training.
• Mike Taylor , Planning and Construction Specialist, can share insights on instrumentation and hydrogen applications based on his 23 years of industry experience.

Student perspectives

Training covered Swagelok Essential Training (STS) course content as well as content from the new Swagelok Regulator Selection and Troubleshooting (RSTT) course, which was rolled out in 2024. Team members have found value in these resources. Hisham Mansour, the Hydrogen Lead of the EcoCar Team and a fourth-year engineering student, reflected on the impact:

"The Swagelok Essentials Training was very necessary and long overdue. Learning about proper installation and handling of fittings and tubing was crucial for our team. Last year, while building LUCY, we realized we made a lot of mistakes due to a lack of knowledge, especially when trying to fix up the inspection for KATE. The training provided a solid base, and I think having this set up earlier for new team members would be amazing. Yearly training would be really helpful because we can build on the knowledge and have more hands-on experience."

Wesley Ngo , a fifth-year engineering student and EcoCar Team member since 2020, shared:

"I loved the training. It would have been absolutely phenomenal two years ago. For EcoCar, it would have helped me be a lot more confident assembling fuel cell fittings. Before, we didn't know how tight to make them or how to prevent leaks. Now we know about gaugeability and proper techniques. When we didn't pass tech inspection in the past, we didn't know how to fix it. This training bridges that gap."

Looking ahead

The University of Alberta's EcoCar Team isn't slowing down. They're pushing forward with hydrogen fuel cell technology, demonstrating what's possible through their hard work and ingenuity. As they gear up for future competitions, their journey offers inspiration and a glimpse into what can be achieved through dedication and teamwork.

Stay tuned

This article is the first in a series exploring sustainable transportation and the remarkable efforts of the EcoCar Team. In our next article, we'll dive deeper into hydrogen fuel cell technology, its potential impact on clean energy, and how teams like EcoCar drive progress.

For more about the University of Alberta's EcoCar Team, visit www.ualberta-ecocar.ca/. The Shell Eco-marathon web page is https://www.shellecomarathon.com/. To learn about Swagelok Edmonton, visit www.edmonton.swagelok.solutions/.