The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students on Monday launched the institute's first electric formula racing car and they intend nurturing real-world technical expertise among engineering students.

Built completely by students of 'Team Raftar,' the formula car 'RF23' is the result of a year-long process in which the team undertook the design, manufacturing, and testing, an IIT Madras press release said.

In terms of performance, the students expect to see significant improvements in speed and lap times in view of the higher power delivered by electric drive, comparatively better than the earlier internal combustion engine model, news agency PTI reported.

Team Raftar comprises 45 students from various disciplines and it is one of the competition teams of the Centre For Innovation (CFI) at IIT Madras.

"The team looks forward to representing India at the International level, fostering industry-standard engineering practices and nurture real-world technical expertise among engineering students."

After unveiling 'RF23," Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, "The shift from combustion to electric vehicle was just as drastic as it was necessary, keeping in line with the global trend of moving towards sustainable transportation. With the global electric vehicle industry still in its nascent state, the potential for growth and technological advancement in this arena is huge."

Team Raftar aims to become the best Formula Student team in the world. It intends to promote Formula student culture in the country with continuous innovation and sustainable technological advancement.

"As a Formula student team, Raftar specialises in designing, building, and racing a high-performance race car every year to compete in Formula Student competitions against top engineering institutions across the world."

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