The Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and the Saimaa University of Applied Sciences will jointly arrange a race called the Lappeenranta GP in spring 2012. The race is for energy-saving electric vehicles and human-powered vehicles, and it will take place in the surroundings of the Lappeenranta Harbour Marketplace on Saturday 28 April 2012. The event organizers are a project group of marketing students from the Kiintopiste Co-op at Saimia.

The Lappeenranta GP comprises two competitions: ‘Joulella pisimmälle’ and SaimiaRACE. In the ‘Joulella pisimmälle’ competition, drivers of electric vehicles race to see who can travel the longest distance consuming the least energy. Generating speed or energy by muscle force is not allowed. After the race, the amount of energy consumed is checked. Groups of LUT students will construct two electric vehicles and tune two electric bicycles for the competition. Students from various educational institutions will be invited to participate in the ‘Joulella pisimmälle’ competition, but it is also open for all people of a minimum of 18 years and interested in constructing or tuning vehicles.

The SaimiaRACE competition, again, is all about speed. The aim is to travel the race course as fast as possible on human-powered vehicles. In addition to gravity and occasional wind power, the driver’s own muscle power is the only permitted source of energy to propel the vehicle forward. The SaimiaRACE competition comprises two divisions: educational institutions and open class. The open class is further divided into two age groups: under 13 years and 13+ years.

The Lappeenranta GP accepts 40 vehicles, 20 vehicles per each competition.

For information on the rules and other instructions, please visit at http://www.lut.fi/fi/green-campus/lappeenranta-gp/Sivut/Default.aspx (only in Finnish).