The Formula Hybrid + Electric Competition happens every spring, offering undergraduates and graduate university students the opportunity to compete with their cars in a series of challenges.
BYU-Idaho’s electric car, Viking 1, was designed and built by SAE. Its chassis, and all but the motor in its drivetrain, were custom-made by them.
From the years of preparation to the competition itself, students have gained invaluable practical experience applying what they’ve learned in classrooms.
“It feels like every time I go to class and then to the race team, it’s like, ‘I just learned this today,’ and vice versa,” said Chuck Taylor, team lead.
The SAE team has about 40 members, and six of them traveled to New Hampshire—the drivers and those who designed critical components of the car.
“Half the competition is the design reports, and the other half is racing,” Taylor said.
As one of the designed drivers, he spent dozens of hours in racing simulators to understand the New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s track as best as he could.
Over the first few months of practice, he logged an average of 75 hours per month racing in the simulator.
This April, it all became reality.
“Walking the track with my father, little brother, and teammates was incredibly surreal,” he said.
“I recognized each corner and unique bump in the road. I was incredibly surprised at how familiar a place I had never been had felt.”
Driving the car around the track, the BYU-Idaho team received feedback from experienced teams, mentors, and judges over the five days of competition.
“Each of our design choices was heavily analyzed, so we had to spend hours reviewing and reporting our knowledge as efficiently and quickly as possible,” Taylor continued.
During the event, the team learned from students representing 30 different universities and developed strong friendships with them.
“It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, and I know the team and I eagerly look forward to our return,” Taylor said.