Hari Meyyappan wins Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award 2010
Monday, 06 December 2010
Hari Meyyappan from Loughborough University was last night awarded first prize in the Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award 2010 for his idea: the PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC TWO-WHEELER. The announcement was made at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ annual dinner in London.
Hari’s prize is the dream start to any automotive career: five months’ work experience with award partners Honda UK, the Marshall Motor Group, Peugeot, Mercedes-Benz Retail and Toyota GB, as well as a cash prize of £7500.
Presenting the award, Autocar editor-in-chief Steve Cropley said: “Hari is a worthy winner of the Next Generation Award this year. His idea to modify an already existing internal combustion engine-driven two-wheeler and to turn it into a plug-in hybrid was no less than brilliant. Additionally, Hari’s presentation was very competent and he dealt with the questioning by ‘The Dragons’ extremely well. The judges and I will be watching his career progress with interest.”
Winner Hari Meyyappan (left) with Steve Cropley Autocar Editor in Chief.
Hari after collecting his award, said “I am overwhelmed at winning the Next Generation Award and really proud of my achievement. It has been my dream since childhood to work in the automotive industry and hopefully I am now one step closer”.
Martin Bohling from the Courland International said: “The standard of entries this year was very high and the two runners-up deserve a very special mention. They were William Brown from Coventry University, who proposed powering a car using ultra-capacitors, and Rishikirran Kunnuparambil Haridhas from Leeds University for his idea to harness engine noise to generate electricity.”
The unique programme, launched last year to high industry acclaim, is open to undergraduates from any British university and is run in conjunction with Courland International and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The aim of the award is to identify and inspire the automotive industry leaders of tomorrow and assist them with their careers.
Hari, the 2010 winner, had to provide a plausible 1000-word paper in response to the competition brief:
“As world demand for cars continues to climb steeply, the industry faces unprecedented challenges – from encroaching legislation, traffic congestion, declining oil reserves, indecision over which technological avenue to follow, economic uncertainty and rising public misunderstanding of its objectives.
“Write an article which (1) lays out and justifies your forecast of major car industry trends over the next 10 years, and (2) uses your specific study area to propose one or more original actions you believe would improve the situation.”
Six shortlisted entrants spent a day with senior management from the award partners at Autocar’s headquarters in London. They presented their ideas in a Dragons’ Den-style atmosphere, which was filmed.
Autocar and Courland look forward to a long, successful partnership running the Next Generation Award programme. Year three will be launched in January 2011, when the hunt starts again to find the next young big thinker.
To follow Hari through his work experience, go to autocar.co.uk/next-generation
Award Partners/Judges
Honda UK | Judge Martin Moll, Head of Marketing
Toyota GB | Judge Francesco Mereu, Director HR
Peugeot | Judge Andrew Didlick, Director of Communications
Mercedes-Benz Retail | Judge Rachael Edwards, Sen. HR Business Ptr
Marshall Motor Group | Judge Christopher Walkinshaw, Bus Dev Dir
Courland International | Judge Martin Bohling, Global Managing Partner
Autocar | Judge Steve Cropley, Editor in Chief
From left to right Steve Cropley – Autocar Editor in Chief, Paul Everitt – Chief Executive SMMT, Kevin Gaskell – Chairman – Courland International (International) Ltd, Hari Meyyappan – Winner 2010 Next Generation Award
Supported by
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
Thanks to Assessment Day Team
- Stuart McCullough Consultant
- Jason Harris Ferrari
- Charles Davis Consultant
- Roger Ormisher Nissan
- Patrick Fuller Haymarket
- Chrissi Evans Box Consulting
- Neil Wade Mubea
- Nikki Rooke SMMT
Previous Winners
2009 Mohsin Basharmal Coventry University
2010 Hari Meyyappan Loughborough University
