Previous Years
Green Team Twente started in the academic year 2011-2012 as an initiative of W.S.G. Isaac Newton, the study of mechanical engineering at the University of Twente. They started the project to show the world that hydrogen is a viable alternative to fossil fuels. In the following years, each year a new team was formed with members from different studies and not only mechanical engineers.
The new teams developed through the years and new aspects were added. Not only did they focus on the car, but also educated people about hydrogen. All the teams and the development of the car through the years will be shown.

2011-2012 UTmotive

Green Team Twente started in the academic year 2011-2012 as an initiative of W.S.G. Isaac Newton, the study of mechanical engineering at the University of Twente. They started the project to show the world that hydrogen is a viable alternative to fossil fuels. The team, a committee of the association, consisted thus completely out of Mechanical Engineering students. Through knowledge, creativity and tremendous resilience, the team managed to set a great result in the first year. That year the result was 727 km/l, which got them the first place!

Winners Shell eco-marathon

Efficiency 727 km/L
Weight 100 kg

2012-2013 UTmotive
The following year it was decided by the association that this success story should be continued. After recruitment in September 2012, the teams also consisted of the studies of Electrical Engineering and Advanced Technology. This multidisciplinary approach enabled us to innovate on multiple fronts, with the aim of a more fuel-efficient car! The entire electronic system is re-created that year and equipped with a CAN bus, which means that all the microcontrollers of the various components are on the same network and thus communicate with each other. This made it possible to also to start collecting data. The same body is rebuilt but this year with a lighter rib structure. The team improved the result for the previous year with a result of around 800 km/l, which led to third place.

3rd place Shell eco-marathon

Efficiency 800 km/L
Weight 85 kg

2013-2014 UTmotive

This year, in addition to mechanical and electrical engineers, a chemical engineer and a health science student became part of the team. The aim was to expand the borders of the team even further to include almost all studies of the UT. It must be a university-wide team that offers students the opportunity to participate in an innovative, sustainable project in which they can put their newly gained knowledge into practice. This year’s work includes carbon rims to minimize the weight of the car, but despite that, no result was put down.

No valid attempt

Efficiency unknown
Weight 85 kg

2014-2015 H2Zero

This year the largest team was active to design and making a completely new car. With many different disciplines, they have worked hard to create a beautiful car. This year, after a lot of research a whole new hydrogen system was introduced, with as a pièce de résistance: a custom-made fuel cell system, wherein the cells of the German ZBT are used.

In addition, a new body has been designed such that the aerodynamics of the body is better. A long backside with a very small slope is used to make sure the air detaches as late as possible. Also this year no result was put down at the Eco-Marathon despite the efforts, but the team did win first place in the battery-electric category at the Challenger event in Rockingham, England.

Winner challenger event
In the battery electric category

Efficiency unknown
Weight 102 kg

2015-2016 H2.Zero

Another revision of the body has been made to make it stiffer and lighter. Also, the powertrain was adjusted this year so that just one wheel was driven instead of two, in this way a more efficient transmission can be achieved. In addition, this was the first team that participated at EduEco.

The purpose of this race was to practice driving strategy and to test the car well for the Eco-Marathon, which was this year for the first time in London. The ambition of this team was to create a good foundation of a car where the next team could continue to optimize this. And finally, a result was obtained: third place with a record of 890 km/l.

3rd place Shell eco-marathon

Efficiency 890 km/L
Weight 114 kg

Participation EduEco

2016-2017 H2 Infinity

This year’s team focused their work on reliability and continuous improvement. The expectations were high for the second edition in London of the Shell Eco-marathon, because of the chassis based on the former H2Zero and some other new systems. We created a special PCB design on the body to give a car a nice face. This design stands for innovation and we brought it with a fully integrated dashboard on the steering wheel, a new ultra-efficient gearbox, an electronically managed clutch system and a real-time data system in the cloud.

At the day of the Shell Eco-marathon, things were running smooth. We passed as the first hydrogen team the technical inspection. This was a good start, because this results in more test runs. Unfortunately we needed the extra time because the optimal set up was not reached, yet. After three days hard work, it all came to the second race day. Everything had to run perfectly in order to set an ultra-efficient stint and we managed to do so! We were the best in our class and that resulted in winning the first place and having the most fuel efficient hydrogen car of Europe in 2017!

Communication award

Winner Shell Eco-marathon

Efficiency 992 km/L
Weight 114 kg

2017-2018 Aurora 1

Our 2018 team rotation was marked with two big changes. For almost six years with our red color and the burning wheel logo, it was time to say goodbye to years of confusion, misfitted branding, and the H2Infinity.
Both, our communications team and our technical team took on their own challenge: creating and designing a new brand identity and building a new car. It took us nine months from mission statement to a new brand, and almost 11 months from a design scratch to a brand new Green Team Twente car. Our new logo was revealed in an epic brand launch in March 2018. Complementing to our name we wear the true green color and have a clear logo communicating hydrogen our main power source.
Our green beauty Aurora One was revealed to the public in April 2018. With a sleek, aerodynamic car design, we were ready set new records at the Shell Eco-Marathon 2018. And while testing days in Twente went very well, technical disturbance during the marathon hindered us to set a valid attempt at the competition in the end. Nevertheless, our great marketing execution won us the communications award so that we still traveled home with a cup. Now, playing the ball to the next team, we are very excited to see the improvements and results from the team rotation of 2019.

winner Communication award

Efficiency unknown
Weight 106 kg

2018-2019 Aurora 2

We became World Champion! With not one, not two, but three trophies, our team came back to Enschede after the Shell Eco-Marathon of 2019. In our year, we focussed on making the car more reliable and improving it wherever possible. We took the lessons from team 18 and made the car our own.

By redesigning the drivetrain and electrical components, but also by significantly improving the cooling system of the fuel cell and the strategy for the race itself, we managed to bring the car to world level. Apart from this, we devised an extensive communication strategy to bring hydrogen and our team to the next level. We set up a project with the University of Twente to put a sustainable tiny house community on campus.

Furthermore, we put more emphasis on education by making educational videos and going to schools and events to give guest lectures. By also competing in the Challenger Event, we gave ourselves the chance to work out any kinks in the cable and to get the first official test round before the real Shell Eco-Marathon. 

And this paid off, as we went to the Shell Eco-Marathon with not only a great car but also with great confidence. This wasn’t misplaced, as we not only won the Shell Eco-Marathon Europe, but also the Driver’s World Championship and Communications Award. We couldn’t have been happier with these results and we will look back at this year with much pride.

World champion

Winner Shell Eco-marathon

Efficiency 992 km/L
Weight 114 kg

Communication award

2019-2020 Aurora 3

This years the team focused on organizing the inside structure and designing more ergonomic and compact components. Furthermore, the hub motor was introduced in the system and a screen showing data collecting for a real-time driving strategy.

winner Communication award

Efficiency unknown
Weight unknown

2020-2021 Aurora X

This team expanded on the work of the team before it. A new fuel cell was put in the car, and the electronic systems were upgraded and the latest software was installed. Mechanical components were optimised in order to make them simpler and lighter. This weight loss, in combination with the improvement of the overall electronics in the car, made it even more efficient than it was at the beginning of the year.

Another aspect the team made steps in is education; they gave online lectures to schools, and, for the first time, an exhibit about Green Team was held at the Museumfabriek. Next to that, a documentary about hydrogen was made.

The Shell Eco-Marathon was cancelled due to Covid-19, which is why the team joined forces with two other Dutch hydrogen student teams, Hydromotive and Eco-Runner Delft, to organise their own event: The “Hydrogen Efficiency Challenge”, presented by Allard Kalff. Despite setbacks due to a malfunctioning fuel cell, the team put in an attempt and finished second with an achieved efficiency of 2500 km/kg of hydrogen. Together with the other teams, they proudly look back on a great event to close off the year.
It was a unique year with ups and downs, and even though the team faced challenges, they managed to get the car driving in time to race it, at their own event, against the best hydrogen efficiency teams in the Netherlands. In the end, they can look back on a year that was more than worthwhile, also thanks to the continued support of the partners during the pandemic.

2nd place Hydrogen efficency challenge

Efficiency 760 km/L
Weight 106 kg

2021-2022 Aurora Ω
Current team Information will be updated after our races