Eclipse - The solar Vehicle of École de technologie supérieure
The idea of building a solar vehicle had been present in the mind of a certain number of students of the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) for a while. In February 1992, a team of enthusiastic and ambitious students started Eclipse, in order to create a vehicle whose principal source of energy would be the sun.
Nowadays, the protection of the environment is a fundamental affair. This is one of the main reasons that motivates several student teams from universities all over the world to develop technologically advanced solar vehicles. The objective is to find possible and realistic solutions to the increasing problem of global pollution.
This is why our team decided to build a solar vehicle in order to explore new solutions in the field of ecological means of transportation. The passage of polluting non renewable fossil fuel engines to electric motors will have to be done eventually. Therefore, the contribution the team can provide in this field is worth the effort. To support the progression of technology and to encourage research on renewable sources of energy, an increasing number of international universities teams all over the world meet regularly in sun driven electrical vehicles.
Since the beginning of Eclipse, five generations of solar vehicles prototypes were created, and the team is not about to stop!
Team mission and objectives
Eclipse is composed of students from the École de technologie supérieure that wish to:
- With their commitment, contribute to environmental sanitation by promoting sustainable development
- Excel in the design, production and assembly of experimental solar-powered vehicles
- Represent their sponsors honourably by displaying their management and technical know-how
- Develop the full potential of every member through team work
- Through their professionalism, ensure recognition of the exceptional quality of the education dispensed at École de technologie supérieure (ETS)
L'École de technologie supérieure
Founded in 1974, the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) located in downtown Montreal is an engineering university specialized in applied engineering research part of the Université du Québec (University of Québec) network, the largest in Canada. The school directs its activities towards co-operative teachings and programs, applied industrial research and technological transfer. ÉTS is a pretty unique school in Québec due to its characteristics.
Its engineering degrees rely on CEGEP (technical college) degrees, therefore, ÉTS students have a more technical aspect. ÉTS is the only university that ensure a direct continuity of the formation acquired in technical colleges. The school maintains tight relations with industry, especially in Research and Developpment fields, in order to offer its students a proper education centered on the needs of the industry. The pedagogical approach is strongly based on experimentation, laboratory activities and technical applications assignments.
The particular type of education and the internships carried out in several companies allow the students to be familiarized, from the very beginning of their university studies, with the realities of the industrial world. Its students have a practical, inventive and creative mind and are accustomed to work on important projects. That explains why they always succeed so well in every competitions they participate in.
Its distinctive approach, partnership with the industry, international co-operation projects with many countries and its industrial research activities put ÉTS at the top of Canadian engineering faculties.
