Gearing up for the challenge

This story first appeared in the October issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Each year since 2016, a University of Auckland team designs and builds its own electric racing car.

It’s part of a Formula SAE challenge for students to conceive, design, fabricate, and compete with small formula-style racing cars which teams spend a year designing.

The team, which can comprise up to 50 people – although allowed as many as wanted, showed off its 2017 car (the 2018 version was still being built) at the EVworld NZ event in August at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland.

The cars are judged in a series of static and dynamic events, including technical inspection, cost, presentation, engineering design, solo performance trials and high-performance endurance.

A competition event is held each December at Winton Motor Raceway near Benalla, Victoria.
It covers three days (December 6-9) of scrutineering, static and dynamic events.

The Auckland team plans to ship its car over in November.

Formula SAE is run by SAE International, initially established as the Society of Automotive Engineers, and grew out of a 1981 concept
The US-based organisation, which has more than 138,000 global members, helps develop standards for engineering professionals in various industries, particularly in the transport industries such as automotive, aerospace and commercial vehicles.

Formula SAE was developed as an educational tool for encouraging university engineering students’ knowledge and skills.

In 2000, the first Formula SAE competition was held in Australia.
Since then the Australian event has grown to be contested by more than 25 universities across Australia, America, Japan and Europe.
Formula SAE events are also run in USA, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan.

Static events are worth 325 out of the possible 1000 points and comprise a design report, cost report, and business presentation to the judges.

The dynamic events are run as individual time trials, and make up the remainder of the marks.
They include an acceleration test, skid pad test, autocross event, and a fuel economy and endurance race.

Team leader Lizzy Grant says sponsorships help cover the cost of developing the car.
If sufficient money is available the team will attempt to travel to a world event, last going to Germany in about 2005 before the switch to electric.

They’d like to visit the United Kingdom event at some stage.

Grant says the car has about a 27km range and drivers, selected from the team after trials in a go-kart, usually swap at the half-way stage.

The team is always keen to hear from potential sponsors.

Visit fsae.co.nz

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