Forty-five minutes. Forty-three minutes. Slippery, wet, muddy. Forty minutes. Thirty-nine minutes. Non-stop rain. Thirty-five minutes. Thirty-four minutes … soaked to the bone, shivering, pushing on. This year’s
Kovsie ACT Eco-Vehicle Race redefined the word endurance.
What was meant to be a full day of racing, with Eco-Vehicle 1.0 and 2.0 competitions, smart laps and endurance races, was turned upside down by heavy rain. In the end, it came down to a single 45-minute endurance showdown in the Eco-Vehicle 2.0 competition.
Despite the weather, the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus was buzzing with excitement on Saturday 27 September 2025, as students put months of hard work to the test during the eighth Annual Kovsie ACT Eco-Vehicle Race.
CUT crowned as overall winner
Two categories defined this year’s challenge:
- Pit Stop – best vehicle presentation and recyclable décor
- Endurance Race – most laps on limited energy
With the rain continuing to pour down, the results were clear. CUT walked away as overall winners, also scooping up the Pit Stop prize. They had already won the Bluetooth Race earlier this year, making 2025 their year. Team leader Junior Mochhakala, a second-year Technology student, said their success came down to smart planning. “We anticipated the weather conditions and built our strategy around that. I’m very glad it worked,” said a proud and happy Mochhakala after Saturday’s race.
Nelson Mandela University impressed with the Best Prepared Car award and claimed victory in the Endurance Race.
The MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development,
Elzabe Rockman, was there too. She praised the project for building strong partnerships and said she was inspired by the students’ boldness to explore new technology.
Industry also stepped up. SA Truck Bodies sent engineers to mentor teams, giving students a real taste of the working world.
Building skills beyond the track
For
Dr WP Wahl, Director: Student Life, the day was about more than just racing. “We started with the eco-vehicle idea in 2016, and it’s grown into something amazing. With support from MerSETA, we built the 1.0 during the pandemic, and now the 2.0 car is here – tested for the first time today, in the rain! What excites me most is the partnerships. We worked with CUT’s Faculty of Engineering on the 2.0. It’s not just about cars and racing; this programme is the training ground where our students gain the skills that they’ll need in the 21st Century.”
As the race ended and the winners were crowned, the checkered flag fell on muddy, smiling teams who shared one thing: grit and the will to build a greener future.