Undip and ITS Secure Four Championship Titles at KMHE 2026
Jember, East Java (ANTARA) - Universitas Diponegoro (Undip) and Institut Teknologi Seproll Nopember (ITS) brought home a total of four championship titles from the 2026 Energy-Efficient Car Contest (KMHE), which concluded at the University of Jember (Unej) on Sunday night.
Undip secured two titles in the Prototype category through Antawirya Rondhan ICE in the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Petrol class and Antawirya Rondhan EV in the Electric Motor class. Meanwhile, ITS swept two titles in the Urban Concept category through the Nogogeni ITS Team, winning the ICE Ethanol and Electric Motor classes.
The Chairman of the KMHE 2026 Committee, Fendi Setyawan, stated that the competition, held from 1–4 October, was attended by 64 teams from 42 public and private universities across Indonesia. “We have all witnessed how exciting and extraordinary the contestants were in their struggle. Some experienced engine failures at the start, others saw vehicles overturn, and many other challenges were faced. However, that is the dynamic, the challenge, and the excitement,” he said during the closing ceremony of KMHE 2026 at the Unej Auditorium.
In the Urban Concept category, Garuda UNY Eco Team 1 from Yogyakarta State University won the ICE Petrol class, while Bengawan Team 2 from Sebelas Maret University secured the ICE Diesel class. Consequently, the eight classes contested across the two main categories of KMHE 2026 resulted in six universities claiming first place, with Undip and ITS each collecting two titles.
The Director of Learning and Student Affairs at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Beny Bandanadjaja, noted that KMHE is more than just an energy-efficient vehicle competition; it serves as a research platform for students to address Indonesia’s future energy challenges. “Processes like this will serve as preparation when students enter the workforce and industry. The arena prepared by universities can be maximised to share and develop the potential of all finalists,” he said during his remote address.
He expressed hope that the ideas developed during the competition could be continued through further research and innovation. According to him, student-made cars, which are currently prototypes and experiments, could potentially evolve into part of Indonesia’s transportation technology solutions.
KMHE 2026 featured two main categories, Prototype and Urban Concept, each consisting of ICE Petrol, ICE Diesel, ICE Ethanol, and Electric Motor classes. In addition to the main categories, the committee presented several off-track awards, including Best Team Spirit to Selembayung Team 1 from Riau University, Best HSE Practice to Malem Diwa Dalikha from Syiah Kuala University, Most Creative Teaser Video to SMES Polsri from Sriwijaya State Polytechnic, Most Interesting Livery to Gatotkaca Unisi from Islamic University of Indonesia, and Best Rookie Team of the Year to Team Jayabaya from Universitas Nusantara PGRI Kediri.