The Supermileage Vehicle (SMV) team from Universitas Indonesia (UI) made Indonesia proud again by winning the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia-Pacific and Middle East 2025. Held at Lusail International Circuit, Qatar, from February 8–12, 2025, SMV UI sent two teams, Nakoela and Arjuna, which earned remarkable achievements. Team Nakoela won 1st Place in the Prototype Hydrogen Vehicle category, while Team Arjuna secured 4th Place in the Urban Battery Electric category.
The Rector of UI, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, stated that SMV UI’s achievements demonstrate that UI students excel academically and in non-academic areas. “This is not the first time SMV UI has achieved success. Last year, in the same competition, Teams Nakoela and Arjuna reached the top ranks. UI is proud of this international achievement. We hope that SMV UI’s victory will inspire other students to create innovations that significantly impact the nation,” said Prof. Heri.
In this competition, SMV UI explored every aspect of design and technology, utilizing their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills to build ultra-efficient cars and race them on the track. Thanks to their innovations, SMV UI outperformed 750 participants from 61 teams representing 16 countries across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
Team Nakoela consisted of 11 members: Haidar Satrio W. (Team Manager), Haydar Mahdi K. F., Orlean Timothy, Rafi Evansyah S., Timothy Jonathan, M. Rafa Rizkia, M. Daffa W., Taqiyya Najla S., Raisya Putri R., Naysilla Salsabillah, with F. X Godwin as the driver. Meanwhile, Team Arjuna had nine members: Rafael Sinema H. (Team Manager), Jericho Christian P., Rainer Rakha E., Ahmad Fatih F., Kaisar Syaddad D., Fathia Ainina J., Ahmad Fariz K., Keyla Arista, with Bimo Putra D. as the driver.
Abdullah Iman, General Manager of SMV UI, mentioned that the success of both teams was not without challenges. There were two main challenges during the preparation for this competition: technical and non-technical. “On the technical side, 2025 marks the first year for the Nakoela Hydrogen Series. It was very challenging because it was our first time developing this car, which took about 1–1.5 years to build. For non-technical challenges, the biggest issue was shipping due to the high costs and the uncertainty of which shipping method to use,” explained Iman in an interview.
According to him, SMV UI’s victory in the Shell Eco-Marathon competition not only sharpened their skills but also pushed them to develop sustainable technological innovations. The team was challenged to build energy-efficient cars that could still compete in racing events. Iman hopes that SMV UI will continue developing their hydrogen prototype to achieve maximum efficiency so that one day, it can be used and benefit the general public.
The Dean of FTUI, Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., expressed his appreciation for SMV UI’s achievements. “FTUI is extremely proud of the accomplishments of Teams Nakoela and Arjuna at the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia-Pacific and Middle East 2025. This success proves the ability of FTUI students to design innovative and efficient clean energy mobility solutions. Hydrogen technology in prototype vehicles and battery-electric systems in urban concepts have the potential to impact the future transportation industry significantly. If adopted by the industry, these innovations could become an important step in accelerating the transition to more sustainable low-emission vehicles,” he said.
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Office of Public Communication
Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia
