Kerala students vroom ahead with hydrogen-powered offroad vehicles

New Indian Express

23-04-2025

At the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET), beyond the usual buzz of classes, labs, and fun, a group of students is busy building race-ready vehicles from scratch.
Herakles Racing, founded in 2017 by a few car enthusiasts, is now one of CET's most sought-after clubs, with over 300 students vying for a place on its 50-member team.
The team was initially built to represent CET in Baja SAEINDIA Racing Circuit, a national-level competition challenging engineering students to build off-road vehicles.
Over the past few years, it has shifented gears from petrol engines to electric and now, hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Recently, CET's vehicle running on a blend of CNG and minimal hydrogen exceeded expectations. The team secured second place in the H-BAJA hydrogen category and clinched third place in endurance, sled-pull, and cost segments.
'There was barely any difference between our virtual and actual vehicle performance,' says Rinin Krishna, the team's vice-captain. For the club, building a vehicle is not just about assembling parts.
'In south India, we are one of the pioneering teams in this space. Most of the top results have usually come from the north, but over the past few years, we have been changing that,' he adds.
The team's focus is building sustainable off-road vehicles that can be used in agriculture, defence, and even disaster response. Everything, from design to fabrication, is done by us students.
'With every new build, we aim to make our vehicles cleaner, stronger, and smarter,' says Rinin. The journey begins with recruitment. Only 20–25 students are selected after multiple rounds that include a written test, technical tasks, and interviews.
'It's one of the most popular clubs on campus. Once selected, new recruits undergo training in software like SolidWorks, Fusion 360, ANSYS, and Altium. The design phase runs from June to November, with production and event prep. We even worked during semester breaks and vacations for better results. It's intense, but it's worth it,' Rinin smiles.
Herakles Racing is now preparing for the Autonomous BAJA category — a new category in the competition focusing on driverless technology. They are also improving their hydrogen model, aiming for a 100% hydrogen blend.
Despite their track record, funding remains a constant hurdle. 'We manage the club like a real company. We have a captain, a vice-captain, HR, PR, a sponsorship team, and a media team. But we are still students. We don't have regular incomes. Last year, we didn't get any sponsorship, and we had to put in our own money. If we had proper support, we could do more,' he adds.
The cost of building an off-road, hydrogen-capable, or autonomous vehicle is not easy. The suspension alone is imported from the US. With SAE rules mandating component upgrades every three years, the financial burden is heavy.
'We have to keep updating the components such as the PMS motors, battery controllers, and gearboxes. It's all very expensive,' says Rinin.
For a group of students working late nights after class and sacrificing their holidays in a workshop, Herakles Racing is more than a club.
'We are not just building vehicles. We are building a future where engineering is hands-on and sustainable,' Rinin says.