IFE car on the track

The 2017 Formula SAE Electric competition in Lincoln, Nebraska on June 20-24 marked our largest success since we switched from a hybrid-electric team to all-electric team several years ago. We passed the electrical and mechanical technical inspections and ran in the dynamic events. This is a huge breakthrough for us since we were not even able to pass the electrical technical inspection in 2016. Several highlights of our other accomplishments at competition included placing 7th in the cost event, 7th in autocross, and 4th in endurance. The field for most of these events comprised 21 teams from across the nation and around the world (including Canada, Mexico, and Brazil). Our newfound achievements this past year can be directly traced to sponsorship and funding from organizations such as the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

 

IFE sponsors

This year we are continuing on our trajectory of achievement. We have successfully recruited and retained over 100 new active members, effectively doubling the size of our team. Enhanced organization, planning, and design processes will ensure that we keep on track to develop a significantly improved electric racecar for the 2018 season. We have been fortunate to test our car on multiple weekends this month in order to gather valuable data crucial to designing this next vehicle. I encourage readers to follow our progress this year on Facebook and Instagram as we plot our course to a podium finish next year. The team would also be very interested in pursuing further support from the department this season and for years to come.

 

IFE team members at the competition