Chandigarh, May 22 (IANS) Imagine doing a 250-km journey from Delhi to Jaipur or Delhi to here in a car that will go the distance in just one-litre of petrol (just over $1)! That’s exactly what students of a technical institute in Punjab - the Rayat Institute of Engineering and Information Technology near Ropar, 50 km from here - claim to have developed.

“It is a rare solo car which can generate a mileage of up to 250 km per litre. Our team of students have not only achieved this feat, but are going to showcase it at a world super-mileage competition in the United States next month,” Gurvinder Singh Bahra, vice chairman of the Rayat and Bahra group of institutes, told media persons here as he unveiled the ‘wonder car’ with the team.

Though the students’ team claims that the car will cost Rs.500,000, its research and development cost over Rs.2.13 million to the institute.

The car, having a 92cc engine, has been developed by a seven-member team of students from the sixth semester of the institute’s mechanical engineering course. The team is led by Gaurav Aggarwal as captain and other members are Mayank Tyagi, Bhavuk Makkar, Arun Salaria, Rahul Kumar, Ramandeep Singh and Navneet Kumar. The team had Jujhar Singh and Rajesh Chaudhary as faculty advisors.

It took them one year to develop the car, said Bahra.

The team is now headed for the world super mileage competition to be held in Michigan, US, next month. The competition is organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers in the US.

“We have modified the engine as per rules supplied by the competition organisers. The frame of the 65-kg car has been developed by using special grade aluminium. It has hydraulic disc brakes and a modified carburettor and fuel supply system. The car has a lightweight outer body shell with an aerodynamic structure.

“All safety and ergonomics features have been taken into account. The car even has a self-designed battery re-charging system,” said Aggarwal.

The Rayat team will be the second Asian team to participate in the 28-year-old contest that will have competitors from 35 countries.