11 year old Leeds school pupil wins competition to design concept car for 2030

Cost-saving, Safe and Environmentally Friendly design takes the top spot in competition launched by automotive professional body and motor retail group

Eleven year old Jai Mistry of West Yorkshire, has been named the winner of a competition to design a concept car for the future.

The competition launched by automotive professional body, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) and motor retailer, the Sytner Group, set out to inspire the next generation of vehicle users to design a concept car for 2030. Jai’s design – which he named CaSE (Cost-Saving, Safe and Environmentally friendly) - brings together the latest technologies to reduce vehicle ownership costs, protect the planet and keep families safe.

Over 50 entries were received from schools across the UK with Jai, who was aged ten at the time of entering and in Year Six at Worley Town School, Halifax, securing the top prize. Now at Trinity Grammar school, he found out he had won the competition at a surprise presentation during assembly on Thursday 1st December. Representatives from the IMI and Synter Group presented Jai with his prize of Goodwood Festival of Speed tickets, as well as sharing details of his design with the whole school.

With nearly 20 technologically advanced, environmentally friendly and money saving design features, Jai’s car of the future boasts airless rubber and fibre glass tyres, which will last longer, save fuel and are recyclable and a Graphene battery to save recharge time and go the extra mile. Biometric technology offers the ultimate vehicle security, while seatbelt and steering wheel monitors assess the health conditions of the driver in emergency situations. Last but by no means least, virtual door mirrors on the inside of the car improve visibility in poor driving conditions, reduce wind noise and create a more aerodynamic driving experience.

Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry commented: “In addition to the colossal thought gone into his vehicle design, which is bursting with new inventions, Jai delivered a well-thought-out brand and marketing campaign to promote his vision of the future. It is incredibly inspiring coming from someone so young and underlines why we really must listen to the future generations when it comes to sustainable mobility.”

Paul Hudspith, Sytner added: “Should it go into production in the future, Jai’s family friendly CaSE design ticks all the boxes needed to not only support the automotive sector in meeting the Government’s Road to Zero ambition, but also ensure a safe, green and affordable motoring future for centuries to come.”

The aim of the competition was to address some of the age-old misperceptions about working in automotive and was prompted by a year-long research project undertaken by the IMI and its Diversity Task Force, which explored the perceptions of the automotive sector as a future workplace amongst children and young people. By inspiring the next generation, the IMI and the Sytner Group hope to overcome some of the barriers its study revealed.

Other entries to the competition included an eco-friendly flying vehicle, complete with its own cow to provide the methane needed to power it, a ‘professional’ pod for workaholics with a built in office workstation, and a green sustainable heavy goods vehicle (HGV) for transporting cargo across the UK.

“This year’s competition aimed to put the spotlight on some of the truly exciting and broad range of roles that are open to our next generation of automotive professionals”, continued Steve Nash. “From IT architects, android developers and software engineers to brand ambassadors and sustainability professionals, the automotive manufacturing, retailing and aftermarkets offer an abundance of opportunities for young people. Indeed, driven by the advancement of technology, the career prospects offered by the UK’s automotive sector today are second to none, offering a world of opportunity.”

The 2023 IMI Business Studies competition sponsored by Sytner Group is now live. Created by the IMI Careers Team with fun and learning in mind, the competition will be supported with built-in lesson plans and worksheets that can be run by schools and clubs or individually at home.

Crucially, the IMI Careers Team boasts eight years’ Matrix Standard accreditation – the Department for Education’s (DfE) framework for endorsing information, advice and guidance contractors – which means those who facilitate an entry to the competition can do so with the confidence they are meeting best practice standards. The competition principles also adhere to the disciplines of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks, which are closely followed by schools to ensure learning and good career guidance go hand in hand.