Sep 24, 2015 | By Tess
Just this week, on September 22nd, students from the Hefei University of Technology in China unveiled their two new Formula 1 car models: the “FSAE VI” and the “Cloud Eletric”. Excitingly, both cars have been fitted with 3D printed steering wheels, which have been designed to better fit the driver’s hand, making driving and steering a more comfortable experience.
The student designed cars, which can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in only 4.1 seconds, will be presented in October and November of this year at the sixth annual fuel formula car races held in Xiang Yang and at the third electric-only Formula 1 races hosted in Shanghai, respectively.
The FSAE VI’s carbon fiber exterior accented with vibrant orange stripes paired with the aerodynamic spoilers at the front and rear of the car make for an impressive overall design. Not only visually impressive however, the FSAE is equipped with an electric shift, which facilitates control of the car for the driver, as well as a lighter-weight frame than its previous models. The car also features a full control panel display, keeping the driver up to date and aware of the driving and turning speeds, gear information, and engine data. Hu Zhengtian, a driver from the Shadow VI team, also reemphasizes the steering wheel made from 3D printed technology, which fits perfectly into the driver’s palm, and functions well ergonomically.
The Cloud Eletric for its part, a white and green, slightly narrower car, is the Hefei University students’ third generation of electric racing car. The car took ten months for the students to create and it possesses some similar features to the FSAE VI, such as the digital dashboard display, self-developed vehicle control technology, and its 3D printed steering wheel.
After last year’s not so successful competitions for the Hefei University of Technology racing teams, they set to work to refine and redesign their models, adding powerful torque motors and a high energy density battery to the car’s design, which allowed for an improved performance while also decreasing the vehicle’s weight from 290kg to 280kg.
The racing cars were designed specifically for college races, for, as Wu Jiahu, the Cloud Electricity racing team captain, explains, “Formula 1 racing for college students is different from professional F1 racing, with more emphasis on the car’s performance on turning extreme corners and complex road conditions, speed is not as emphasized.”
Both vehicles were designed entirely by students and staff at the Hefei University of Technology, and reportedly cost RMB 220,000 (approx USD 35,000) to make.
The sixth annual fuel formula one races will take place from October 13 to 17th in Xiangyang in the Hubei Province, and more than 70 domestic college racing teams will be participating. Weeks later, between November 3rd and 7th in Shanghai, upwards of 30 racing teams will take part in the electric formula one racing competition. Hefei University of Technology’s FSAE VI and Cloud Eletric will be presented at both competitions respectively, and are sure to impress with their 3D printed steering wheels and impressive designs!
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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