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The WeTruck is an energy recovery system for refrigerated trucks, which saves fuel and minimizes the effects of pollution on the environment. The idea, conceived by four graduates of FEUP, won the competition of business ideas iUP25K.

Rodrigo, Bruno, Ricardo and Miguel are the developers of a solution that allows vehicles for refrigerated goods to save fuel and minimize the CO2 emissions.

The four graduates in Electrical Engineering make the WeTruck team, which saw its winning business idea awarded with 15 thousand euros in iUP25k contest last Friday.

"It is a solution that allow us to produce, store and retrieve electrical energy to power the auxiliary systems for heavy vehicles. It can be achieved a reduction of about 87% of the refrigeration system fuel consumption "explains Rodrigo Pires, 23.

 With the electrical system developed by WeTruck, reinforces the newly young master by the Faculty of Engineering of Porto University, "there is no emission of noise” and “there is a reduction of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere on the order of one tonne per vehicle per year. "

The idea came about through the thesis of Bruno Azevedo and in the proceedings came the “opportunity to create a team to move forward with the project" says Rodrigo Pires. The two young engineers applied for the passport for Entrepreneurship, sponsored by IAPMEI, extended the team, and in October last year, entered the UPTEC acceleration program.

The WeTruck team was not expecting the award. Still, there are many plans to make use of the amount collected. "The idea is to buy some equipment that is critical to the development of the prototype, and even [help] the constitution of the company”, says Rodrigo Pires.

The system we are developing is still in prototype validation in laboratory environment. The four engineers hope that later this year can be able to test the system in a heavy duty vehicle, and enter in the market in later 2015. "We want, first, to reach the market of transport companies. Because they are the ones feeling the pain of high fuel prices” delivers Rodrigo Pires.

The potential of the business idea will still allow the four young men embark on a trip to Mexico to participate in an international entrepreneurship competition, the RedEmprendia SPIN 2014.

Last year, the 'Sphere Ultrafast Photonics' project was the winner of iUP25k. In this edition, the competition of ideas, University of Porto received 37 applications.

In  http://informacao.canalsuperior.pt/noticia/17897