Electric car wins Formula Student for second time

14th July 2015

Siobhan O'Gorman

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A team of 60 engineering students from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) has stormed to victory at this year’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Formula Student competition. Formula Student challenges student engineers to design, build and race a single seat racing car in one year.

The competition is composed of eight challenges and events with a separate amount of points allocated for each. These include, among others, tests to assess cars’ acceleration, endurance, fuel economy, as well as the design and business case each of the teams has prepared.

Team Delft claimed the prize at Silverstone this weekend with a total score of 909.3 out of a total score of 1,000 points. Germany’s UAS Zwickau claimed second place with 792.5 points, University of Stuttgart came third with 750.8 and the University of Bath was the top UK team, coming fourth with 748.4 points.

Thousands of the world’s best young engineers were at Silverstone from 8^th to 12^th July. There were 135 teams in total, with 49 from the UK and teams from as far afield as Australia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Stijn Pennings, Team Leader for Formula Student Team Delft, said: “All the hard work over the past year has paid off and the whole team has gained invaluable hands-on experience on what is involved in developing a car from start to finish.

“I think the key to our win is the extremely light and agile nature of our car. This year we trimmed the weight of the drivetrain and also had a one-piece monocoque.

“We worked well as a team and I am incredibly proud and happy with our win, particularly winning by such a big margin.”

Prof Richard Folkson, President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and former Chief Judge of Formula Student, said: “The calibre of the engineering on display this year was exceptional and Team Delft were very worthy winners. Their car was agile, quick and had some impressive innovations from last year’s car including the side wings.

“Overall the level keeps improving at the competition every year and I am also delighted with the success of the University of Bath, who were the top UK team. They had the top score for the Endurance test and did very well to come in at an impressive fourth place.

“This year’s event was a great success and every one of the more than 3,000 students who took part should be proud of what they have achieved.”

There were a total of three UK teams in this year’s top 10, apart from the University of Bath, Oxford Brookes came 6th, after coming second for the design test and the University of Birmingham came 7th.