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Europe Wins Ford Model T Contest

American car manufacturer Ford announced the winners of the Ford Model T contest, the only European university registered for the competition winning the grand prize of $25,000 in scholarship funds. The car designed by IKA (Institute of Automotive Engineering Aachen) from Aachen University, Germany met all the requirements imposed by Ford: the vehicle had to be simple (without too many complex technologies), practical and lightweight but had to work for approximately 200 km with at least two passengers. However, the most important aspect of the car was the price, Ford imposing a maximum price of $7,000.

The German university vehicle complied with all the aforementioned requirements and had a base price of $6,780. The car had a total weight of 800 kilograms without passengers, but additional weight could be brought by the engine, especially if the petrol-powered version was combined with an electric variant.

But more importantly, the eight students and the engineers had the brilliant idea to place the driver seat in the center of the car, which could reduce the costs of a mass-production model in case a right hand-drive version would be required. Moreover, since there's no front passenger, the manufacturer would only make the driver seat adjustable.

“We are very proud, as the only European institute, to have been able to participate in this exciting competition. Then to top it off with winning is not only very satisfying, but also confirms that German engineers and students have the capability to compete successfully on the international stage," said Professor Stefan Gies, managing director of the IKA.

"The high quality of their concept impressed us deeply and confirms that Ford of Europe has made the right choice in co-operating with such a strong and capable academic partner,” Managing Director of the Ford Research Centre congratulated Aachen University added.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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