{"id":60273,"date":"2024-05-06T10:53:53","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T14:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/?p=60273"},"modified":"2024-06-24T13:43:15","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T17:43:15","slug":"found-of-earlham-college-startup-to-continue-quest-for-hult-prize-in-portugal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/news-events\/found-of-earlham-college-startup-to-continue-quest-for-hult-prize-in-portugal\/","title":{"rendered":"Founders of Earlham College startup to continue quest for Hult Prize in Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The founders of a new business startup from Earlham College will travel to Lisbon, Portugal, this summer as semi-finalists for the Hult Prize, the world\u2019s largest student competition for social good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EVO, short for Electrical Vehicle Optimization, is a venture by sophomores Zohaib Asif and Parsa Mallik and juniors Loukik Nanda and Diprekshya Maharjan. Together they are working to transform the electric vehicle industry by boosting the lifespan of the lithium-ion batteries that power them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBattery degradation is a problem that is hindering the mass adoption of electric automobiles and is contributing to landfill waste in a way that is not sustainable,\u201d said Asif, a business major from Pakistan and EVO\u2019s chief executive officer. \u201cOur idea could help solve a big problem and offer a solution for the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demand for electric vehicles has increased in recent years and is expected to continue into the next decade. Recycling the lithium-ion batteries that power them, however, is complicated because they contain hazardous materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReplacement batteries cost upwards of $20,000,\u201d said Nanda, a business and data science double major from India and the team\u2019s chief marketing officer. \u201cWe are offering an affordable alternative that is also reliable and sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EVO is using campus laboratories to determine if they can restore capacity in used lithium-ion batteries from drones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBattery degradation is caused by not completely discharging a battery before recharging it,\u201d said Mallik, a computer science major from Bangladesh and EVO\u2019s chief operations officer. \u201cWe are trying to run a cycle that completely discharges a battery at a certain amount of current and resistance that can bring back the battery\u2019s capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cBattery degradation is caused by not completely discharging a battery before recharging it. We are trying to run a cycle that completely discharges a battery at a certain amount of current and resistance that can bring back the battery\u2019s capacity.\u201d<\/p>\nParsa Mallik<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n