BCN eMotorsport consolidates itself in Formula Student as the first Spanish university team in electric vehicles

The BCN eMotorsport team has traveled across Europe this summer to compete in the Formula Student (FS), the largest automotive event in the university world, with the CAT17X prototype, developed throughout the course by students from the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering (ETSEIB) and the Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSETB). 

In this edition, the BCN eMotorsport team has the support of Fractus, which has also collaborated by advising the team and providing material for improving the electric vehicle's telemetry system. The objectives have focused on achieving high reliability with the minimum possible delay and implementing 5G connectivity in the system.

The last FS competition in which they participated was the prestigious FS Germany, held at the Hockenheim Ring in Germany from August 18 to 24, in which the team achieved the second best result in its history: it came in 16th place in the static vehicle (EV) category, thus consolidating itself as the best Spanish electric team in Formula Student. The next Spanish team follows in 40th place and with half the points of the Barcelona team, which has also climbed positions and is in 11th place in the dynamic vehicle (DV) category.

Another success for the team occurred at the Red Bull Ring circuit (Austria), where it participated from 20 to 24 July and managed, for the first time, to complete the Formula Student Endurance in which it covered 22 km using only the electric battery. It ended this FS Austria climbing to 19th position, after having achieved twice as many points than in the previous edition. It also improved its score in the static tests, remaining on the verge of the final tests of the 'Cost & Manufacturing' (one of the static tests, in which the team's ability to understand and justify the production costs of the single-seater is evaluated).

In the case of FS Spain, which took place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Montmeló), from 5 to 10 August, the CAT17X vehicle set the fastest time in ‘Autocross DV’ (autonomous mode), beating teams that, due to their technical characteristics, seemed to have more chances of passing this test. 

Despite suffering inconveniences in the dynamic tests due to electronic problems, the good results in the static tests helped the team reach 3rd place in DV in the autonomous mode and 10th in the EV mode (with pilot).

This team, initially formed by students from ETSEIB, was the first university to manufacture, in 2011, the first electric vehicle in Spain. And it was a pioneer again when it participated in the Formula Student circuits in 2018, with the first autonomous vehicle, thanks in this case to the incorporation of students from ETSETB in the project. 

Currently, the design and construction of this vehicle, in addition to being part of a subject, is part of the comprehensive and high-level training promoted by the two schools of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), in addition to being an interdisciplinary project that helps to acquire professional skills (teamwork, managing frustration when things do not go well and strategies for finding solutions, etc.).