Dr Hyun Sung Park, Chief Executive Officer, Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

Thank you for being here to witness this special event, the handover of a Hyundai IONIQ 5 to our university.

Dr Park, we are truly grateful to Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) for your generosity and strong support of our educational and research initiatives. This gift is especially meaningful, as it is Singapore’s first locally-made IONIQ 5 electric vehicle. With it, our students will gain access to advanced automotive technology, further enhancing their SUTD educational experience.

The IONIQ 5 EV will be particularly valuable for students from Project EVAM or Electric Vehicle by Additive Manufacturing, or EVAM for short. This ambitious student-led initiative, launched in late 2020 under the guidance of Professors Lim Seh Chun and Chua Chee Kai, began with just 15 undergraduates passionate about designing and building a Formula-1-like vehicle from scratch. They completed designing and building this fully functional EV within just 26 months, during which the problem-solving skills of the students were tested extensively. For example, they had to figure out from first principles, how to solve the problem of structural warping arising from welding of the chassis. The level of perseverance and grit is not only awe-inspiring, but it is also reflective of the way the SUTD mind works – out-of-the-box and non-conformist.

In 2023, we also collaborated with LASALLE College of the Arts to revolutionise EV design. Combining engineering excellence with design innovation, this joint effort produced a unique EV prototype with the body shell design drawing inspiration from intricate and efficient forms found in insects.

Indeed, since the start of the EVAM project, more than 50 students have experimented and innovated on the car, supported by faculty advisors and industry sponsors. Students will continue to improve on it, including introducing innovative solutions such as a heads-up display. The EV is proudly on display here today and I encourage you to take a closer look later.

Project EVAM is planning on designing a vehicle that is more car-like in size and performance as one of its next objectives. The IONIQ 5 provides an excellent platform for students to work with a production-level vehicle, bridging the gap between passion projects and real-world industry standards. Such student-led projects are a hallmark of SUTD’s unique learning journey. Students are given the freedom to experiment, to take risks, and to tackle complex multidisciplinary challenges. In doing so, they hone not only their creativity and engineering skills, but also their ability to integrate Design·AI into solutions for the future.

I would also like to briefly introduce another exciting prototype on display – a product of our students’ passion. This is Project P50, another student initiative launched in late 2024 that paid homage to the legendary Peel P50, the world’s smallest car. Project P50 is an EV with a steel chassis and a 3D-printed body, fully built in-house here at this very Fab Lab. It again showcases our students’ hands-on mastery of fabrication and design. Together, these projects reflect the ingenuity, determination, and technical excellence of our students. And if weather permits, some of our guests and members of the media may get to enjoy a short ride in Project EVAM later.

The IONIQ 5 donation also paves the way for SUTD’s first automotive Capstone project. For the first time, our final-year students will have the opportunity to work with a production-level EV. In the future, teams from diverse fields such as engineering product design, materials science, and computer science will collaborate on projects in sustainable urban mobility, eco-friendly materials, and smart systems.

In the longer term, we envision developing initiatives such as an AI-based platform for predictive maintenance and performance optimisation, as well as repurposing the IONIQ 5’s battery pack into a research platform to extend battery life and enhance energy efficiency. These are the kinds of real-world challenges that our students will tackle hands-on, preparing them not just for future careers in electric mobility and related technologies, but to also foster in them a spirit of innovation.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without this partnership that we have established with HMGICS. Once again, on behalf of SUTD, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dr Park and your team. Your contribution is helping us nurture the next generation of Design·AI innovators, designers, and changemakers.

Thank you.