What is Formula SAE?
Founded in 1978 by the Society of Automotive Engineers, Formula SAE now hosts competitions globally, with hundreds of teams participating worldwide. Penn Electric Racing competes in the FSAE Electric Category in North America, in which more than 100 teams from several continents take part each year.
"The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a design team to develop a small Formula-style race car. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. Each student team designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules whose purpose is both to ensure onsite event operations and promote clever problem solving." -SAE International
The events
Formula SAE competitions consist of 8 events: 5 dynamic events and 3 static events.
- Acceleration
Measures car's acceleration over a 75m straight track.
- Autocross
Measures car's maneuverability and handling over a tight course with a series of straights and turns.
- Endurance
Measures car's durability and reliability over a 22km race with 22 laps around a track.
- Skid pad
Measures car's cornering ability over a constant-radius turn over a figure-8 track.
- Efficiency
Measures car's energy efficiency by monitoring energy use during the Endurance event.
- Design
Evaluate the team's adherence to good design practices during the conception, iteration, integration, and validation of every subsystem on the vehicle.
- Sales presentation
Assesses the team's ability to compile a business case arguing that their car best serves the needs of the amateur racing market.
- Cost report
Assesses the team's ability to factor cost of production into the design of the car and solve production issues on the fly.