- Educational display car to boost premium vehicle research
- BMW South Africa continues to promote access to maths, science, engineering and technology
The University of Pretoria has welcomed the donation of a BMW 3 Series Sedan educational display car by BMW South Africa. The donation forms part of the company’s commitment to enhancing young people’s access to maths, science, engineering and technology.
Mr Edward Makwana, BMW South Africa’s Automotive Communications Manager, handing over the BMW 3 Series Sedan to Professor Roelf
The BMW 3 Series Sedan educational display car was built in the pre-production stage of the new BMW 3 Series at Plant Rosslyn, Pretoria in early 2012. “These vehicles would have been scrapped, however we are proud to be able to donate one of them to form part of the valuable research that the University of Pretoria is currently undertaking in the automotive field,” said Edward Makwana, Group Automotive Communications Manager at BMW South Africa.
The University’s vehicle dynamics group is active in vehicle testing and research on driver assistant systems, suspension and braking efficiency improvement. The donation of the BMW educational car will enable the university to support other research partners in the premium vehicle sector including their German counterparts and other institutions.
The handover of the BMW 3 Series Sedan educational display car was received by University of Pretoria representatives Professor Roelf Sandenbergh, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering: Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT), Professor Josua Meyer, Head of the School of Engineering and Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, and Professor Schalk Els, Research Group Leader of the Vehicle Dynamics Group (VDG). Several Master’s Degree and PhD undergraduates were also in attendance as they are actively involved in conducting the research and will be benefitting from the donation.
“The Vehicle Dynamics Group is excited to take delivery of our new BMW 3 Series test platform. We will use the platform to develop and test new methods for improving vehicle comfort, efficiency and safety using the latest mechanical, electrical and electronics technologies. This test platform will boost our teaching and research activities, and take it to a higher level of local relevance and international competitiveness,” concludes Professor Schalk Els, Research Group Leader of the VDG.
