[mango_pal]

Every year a team from IIT-B represents the university at the Formula Student at Silverstone.

Teams from around the world develop their own race cars from scratch. They may be IC engines, hybrids or even electric.

The vehicles would be tested and judged on the following criteria:

1) Static Events

- Design (150), cost (100) and presentation judging (75)
- Technical and safety scrutineering
- Tilt test
- Brake and noise test

2) Dynamic Events

- Skid pan (Figure of 8) (50)
- 1 km sprint (150)
- 75m acceleration (75)
- 22 km endurance (300) and fuel economy (100)

The winner of the event is the team with the highest number of points out of a maximum of a 1000.
(Figures in brackets are maximum possible points)

Last year, the IIT-B team went for the event with their EVO-1 electric car.
Since it was their first attempt at making an electric vehicle, they did not perform all that well.
This year, they've learnt a lot from their mistakes and incorporated a lot of changes in their all new EVO-2.



Here are the specs of the car:

Chasis: MS Space Frame
Wheel base / Track width: 61.5" / 49"
Curb weight: 290 kg

Battery pack: LiPo battery packs, 20SX2 configuration, Dow Kokam cells, 7.6 kWh
Engine: Electric, Agni 95R Brushed PM DC motors (2 DC motors)
Power: 30 kW (per motor) Total: 60 kW (80.5 hp)
Torque: 54 Nm (per motor) Total: 108 Nm @0-5600 rpm

Top Speed: 90 km/h
Acceleration:
0-60 km/h: 2.5 s
0-90 km/h: 5 s

Transmission: 2 step linear gearbox (They have developed their own transmission)
Final drive: 6.4:1
Differential: Electronic Dif

Suspension: Double unequal length A-Arms
Brakes: Vented Discs all around



Sorry for the horrible pictures, from my old iPhone.

The car being prepared...






13" Alloys look awfully heavy, the tyres that they are using are sparsely used 3 year old ones, to save costs. That is too crucial an area to cut costs.


Front Suspension




Spnsored by NRB Bearings. They have been sponsoring them for the past 4 years.


The inside





Saw a small demo of the car yesterday. Included slaloming, accelerating, hard braking.
Overall, its a very competent vehicle and has tested well. There is still a lot of progress that needs to be made.

Most of their competitors are working with monocoque chassis'. These guys are using a space frame chassis with fiber glass panels.
They are planniing a monocoque chassis in the next 2-3 years.
They haven't looked at the aerodynamic aspect much, justification being that at these speeds they don't really matter at these speeds.
They need to reduce the weight significantly. From 290 kg to at least 230-240 kg. The introduction of a monocoque chassis would help significantly.

Overall, considering it is only their second attempt at an electric car, they have done an absolutely tremendous job. It's a huge improvement over their previous car. The only way that the progress of these dedicated and passionate blokes can go, is up!

Wish them all the best for Silverstone and hope that they keep innovating and progressing and some day be among the winners of the Formula Student.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Technical Stuff. Thanks for sharing!

[SirAlec]

Every time i see these project cars. I say "what ever happen to vision" In India mostly its just clearing the semester with these contraption made by the help of local mechanic.

I recently met a man from London who is settled in Sri Lanka. We shared the same feelings. He specializes in making Cobra replicas.

He help make a SKoda RS based buggy which is featured somewhere here, He was not mentioned here was he??

I mean this man can make space frame out of steel tubes ground up.