MSOE’s Supermileage team, Team Carbonair, showcased their engineering prowess at the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas competition at the Indianapolis Mother Speedway April 7–11, 2026. MSOE’s team participated in the Prototype Internal Combustion Engine competition, which required student teams to design and build a single-cylinder vehicle that will yield the highest fuel economy measured in miles per gallon.

More than 30 students worked throughout the year on various projects to get their Supermileage vehicle competition ready. The engine sub-team developed a new 79cc, 3-horsepower engine designed to maximize fuel efficiency through tuning with a custom-built dynamometer provided by the MSOE Fluid Power Institute. The body sub-team developed a new carbon fiber body for the 2026 competition as well as made various design improvements to the vehicle’s frame, brakes and steering.
At the Shell Eco-Marathon competition, the team successfully passed technical inspections, which was a huge achievement. “Technical inspections are very thorough and challenging,” explained Dr. Prabhakar Venkateswaran, associate professor, vice chairperson of the Mechanical Engineering Department, and Supermileage team advisor.

This accomplishment was a proud moment for the team. “Passing technical inspection was an incredible feeling,” said Maclane Wightman, senior mechanical engineering student and team lead. “Our team has experienced significant adversity over the past few years, and I can guarantee that most teams would see the challenges we faced and have just given up.” 

Although the team ran into technical challenges that prevented them from completing a full run, they were pleased with their progress. “Passing technical inspections was a big step forward from last year, and they are on the right trajectory to complete some official runs next year,” said Venkateswaran. 

The team enjoyed connecting with their teammates as well as other teams at the competition. They valued the insight and mentorship from their peers. “Competition is not just an opportunity to compete, but to also to learn and get feedback on the vehicle to continue to improve next year,” said Wightman.

The team plans to continue improving upon the existing vehicle design and they have several projects planned for next year that will work on the vehicle engine, body and frame.

For graduating seniors like Wightman, experiences like this will leave a lasting impression on their college experience. “The best part of the competition was definitely the memories made and how much the team grew during it. The nature of the competition creates significant bonds between team members, as we had to all pile into an athletic van for the drive to Indianapolis, spend every minute of the day with each other for the week working in the paddocks, and then share tents at the campsite at night. Personally, some of my favorite memories from my time at MSOE came from these competitions.” 

Wightman will move into “project manager emeritus” status after graduation. “I have to say that I am so incredibly proud of how much this team has grown in the past four years.” 

A total of 11 students attended the Shell Eco-Marathon, which is the most that have attended since 2019! They included:

•  Calais Chmielewski, sophomore, mechanical engineering
• Emilia Chu, freshman, industrial engineering
• Harrison Crasko, senior, mechanical engineering
• Alex Hernandez, junior, mechanical engineering
• Alessandra Lopez, sophomore, industrial engineering
• Olivia Mooney, sophomore, mechanical engineering
• Aubry Nilsson, junior, mechanical engineering
• Charly Pyper, senior, mechanical engineering, team lead
• Nolan Randa, junior, electrical engineering
• Jackson Scheufele, sophomore, mechanical engineering
• Maclane Wightman, senior, mechanical engineering, team lead