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Eco-Vehicle 2.0 makes debut at the eighth Annual Kovsie ACT Eco-Vehicle Race

03 October 2025 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Stephen Collett

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

The big headline? The launch of Eco-Vehicle 2.0 – a brand-new prototype built through the advanced Skills Programme 2.0. Students from the three UFS campuses were joined by teams from the Central University of Technology (CUT), the University of South Africa (UNISA), and Nelson Mandela University (NMU). For nine months, they had been working on everything from sustainability and software engineering to mechanical and structural design, and now it was time to prove it on the track.

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.

The race continues to be funded by the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (MerSETA). Since 2018, this funding has kept the wheels turning, enabling both the 1.0 and 2.0 programmes. Representatives Jabulane Mazibulo and S’busiso Ndlovu said their support is about caring, serving, and creating belonging.

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.

News Archive

King Moshoeshoe comes alive on national television

2004-11-02

Honourable Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili, Prime Minister of Lesotho, and his wife; King Letsie III of Lesotho and Dr Ezekiel Moraka, Vice-Rector: Student Affairs at the UFS during the première of the film at the Royal Palace in Lesotho

The ground-breaking documentary film on the life and legacy of King Moshoeshoe, the founder of the Basotho nation, will come alive on Thursday 4 November 2004 when it is screened on SABC2 at 21:00

The film, called Moshoeshoe: The Renaissance King, forms part of a larger project by the University of the Free State (UFS) to honour the Moshoeshoe legacy of nation-building and reconciliation and to explore his role as a model of African leadership. It was produced by the well-known journalist Mr Max du Preez and commissioned by the UFS as part of its centenary celebrations.

The SABC2 screening was preceded by a première in Bloemfontein last month, and was attended by provincial political leaders.

This past weekend there was a première at the Royal Palace in Lesotho, which was attended by King Letsie III, the prime minister, the chief justice, judges, the president of the senate, cabinet ministers and directors-general.

“Through this documentary film the UFS commits itself to developing a shared appreciation of the history of this country and to the establishment of the Free State Province as a model of reconciliation and nation-building. King Moshoeshoe is also a strong common element, and binding factor, in the relationship between South Africa/the Free State, and its neighbour, Lesotho,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

“Not all people in South Africa know the history of Moshoeshoe. Many Basotho – but not all – are well versed in the history of Moshoeshoe, and his name is honoured in many a street, town and township. Many white people know little of him, or have a very constrained or even biased view of his role and legacy. In Africa and the world, he is much less known than, for instance, Shaka,” said Prof Fourie.

“King Moshoeshoe did a remarkable thing in forging a new nation out of a fragmented society. He also created a remarkable spirit of reconciliation and a remarkable spirit of leadership,” said Prof Fourie.

According to Prof Fourie we already benefit from his legacy: the people of the Free State share a tradition of moderation and reconciliation rather than one of aggression and domination. “For the UFS this is also part of real transformation – of creating a new unity amidst our diversity,” said Prof Fourie.

“We also find in the legacy of King Moshoeshoe the possibility of a “founding philosophy”, or “defining philosophy”, for the African renaissance. To develop this philosophy, we must gain a deeper understanding of what really happened there, of his role, of his leadership. Therefore the UFS will encourage and support further research into the history, politics and sociology of the Moshoeshoe period, including his leadership style,” said Prof Fourie.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
2 November 2004

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