The proud legacy of Lehigh’s Formula SAE team continues with the upcoming addition of an electric vehicle (EV) to its storied fleet.
Formula SAE is a student-run club open to all undergraduates. Every year, the team designs, manufactures, and competes with an open-wheel race car at the Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Michigan competition. This year, team members will also begin the development of an electric motor.
While the goal is to create an EV prototype capable of competition in the spring and summer of 2024, going electric will be challenging. To support the effort, the college will provide students with a multiday safety training specifically geared toward working with high voltage and currents. The curriculum of two courses—one on electrical machines and another on power converters—has been revised to further support the initiative. Advisors, including Bill Maroun (Composites Lab technician), Mark Motsko (IT client support coordinator), and Javad Khazaei (assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering) will work closely with team members throughout the process.
“I have the capacity in my lab to allow these students to test the electrical components before they’re assembled in the car,” says Khazaei, whose research includes the integration of EVs into the electrical grid. “This is a fairly new research area, and so it’s going to be a learning process for all of us. But that’s exactly why I’m interested in this project. I think the knowledge we gain by designing this vehicle will apply to my lab’s current research efforts.”
As for the students, he says, their interest in this emerging technology is undeniable.
“They are super motivated,” he says. “If it weren’t for the safety requirements, they would have designed the car already. They just want to race tomorrow.”
Illustration: iStock/PANOM73