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Electric single-seater racing car on the Formula Student

Electric single-seater racing car on the Formula Student

EPFL and its electric single-seater racing car will take part in Formula Student motor racing competitions in Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany this summer.

For members of EPFL Racing Team, the winter exam session ended with an additional – and significant – challenge: on 31 January, the students spent the day demonstrating their technical expertise in an attempt to qualify for this summer’s Formula Student races. They qualified for competitions in Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany this summer, having already made it into July’s season-opening race in Zurich as one of the home teams. So it will be a summer of speed for the approximately 50 students, including two women, who are taking part in EPFL’s motor racing adventure.

For many of the team’s members, the challenge started more than a year ago. “Our 2020 car is the result of all the experience we gained in 2019 and the lessons we learned from the mistakes we made,” explains José Hajjar, who is in charge of partnerships. “Last year, our aim was to have a functioning car. This year, we want a high-performance car. We’re doing all the same things, but twice as well.”

The team’s efforts have focused on improving the car’s engine, weight, batteries, layout and structure. EPFL Racing Team’s single-seater will have two engines, one to control each of the rear wheels, supported by an electronic assistance system instead of a differential. “The control software will take into account all of the car’s fundamental parameters in real time in order to control things like skid and stability,” says team leader Pierre Georges. “So it will really boost performance.”

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Source: “A high-octane summer for EPFL Racing”, Anne-Muriel Brouet, EPFL

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