Team Formula Electric Racing NUST (FERN) after a year’s worth of hard work and preparation, defied all odds, crossing the roadblocks which came on the way and joined the Formula Student teams from all over the world at the IMechE Formula Student UK 2018. Team FERN was the only electric team from Pakistan in the competition: an achievement in itself, which the team viewed as a huge responsibility.
Formula Student UK is annually held at the Silverstone Circuit, known as the “Home of British Motor Racing”. Silverstone is the current venue of the British Grand Prix, which was first hosted in 1948. Silverstone is built on the site of a World War II Royal Air Force bomber station, RAF Silverstone, which opened back in 1943. The airfield’s three runways, in classic WWII triangle format, lie within the outline of the present track.
The Formula Student UK was a five-day competition divided into Statics and dynamics events.
Static Events:
- Engineering Design, Cost and Manufacturing, and Business Presentation Judging
- Technical and Safety Scrutineering
- Tilt Test
- Brake and Noise Test
Dynamic Events:
- Skid Pad (Figure of 8)
- Sprint
- Acceleration
- Endurance
- Fuel Economy
The event started with a lively opening ceremony which was conducted by Executives from IMechE, Bosch, ExxonMobil and various other companies. The competition started with the teams giving final touches to their cars in their respective pit stations. Each morning drivers were to attend a safety meeting by event safety marshals. Scrutineers and judges met with the participants.
The Business Presentation event was judged by leading experts from the automotive industry. The judges were impressed by the team’s business proposal and lauded the efforts of the team. The team was also then judged on Cost & Manufacturing and then Engineering Design of the car by the scrutineers. The team did reasonably well on both. There were quite a few hurdles along the way. The team was already bearing the consequences of financial constraints but a cyclone hitting the layover port for the vehicle had put a huge dent in the team’s spirits. After spending months perfecting the accumulator container design, which houses the batteries, the team had to completely redesign after reaching the UK since the batteries could not be shipped after the cyclone mishap. However, after a lot of continued work, and adjustments, the team earned the Chassis sticker, and at the closing ceremony team Formula, Electric Racing NUST was notably mentioned by event judges for their tireless work and innovation on the batteries container.
Formula Student UK 2018 was a supremely useful learning process. The feedback from the judges provided the team with new motivation for the development of a new and better car. This should ensure that the 2020 vehicle is more competitive while also allowing the 2018 vehicle to be utilised in driver practice and marketing events. The team organises a number of events to showcase their Formula Student UK 2018 vehicle to the masses and received widespread support and encouragement from people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Team FERN, even after the event, did not step back, from their aim, which is not only participating in global events but also creating a positive impact in the community. They kept conducting Roadshows, social campaigns and different interactive and informative session. They had a staunch belief that creating awareness to motivate younger students to enter the field of Engineering and innovation to create awareness among the youth about the Electric Vehicles and sustainable future. This journey to create Pakistan’s one and only formula electric car wouldn’t have been possible without the support from one of the biggest name in the country which includes Faizan Steel, Suzuki, general Tyres, BurgerLab, Ufone, Boundless and ZK International. If more and more giants start to recognise such talent from the country, then I am positive that this will be a step towards a brighter future for the engineering sector and auto industry of Pakistan.
