The IST Formula Student team presented its 9th competition car – FST 09e – which will represent Técnico in Formula Student, the world’s largest student motorsport competition. The prototype is 100% electric and 100% Portuguese and has the support of 80 sponsoring companies.
This year, FST Lisboa will participate in three of the most important Formula Student competitions worldwide: FS East (Zalaegerszeg Automotive Proving Ground circuit in Hungary, FS Germany (Hockenheimring circuit in Germany and FS Spain (Catalunya circuit in Spain). The competitions will take place from 17th to 21st July, from 5th to 11th August and from 20th to 25th August, respectively.
The FST 09e has 4 electric motors and a prepreg carbon fiber monocoque chassis, reaching top speed of 107 km/h.
“The FST 09e was designed to increase reliability in order to boost test time and consequently achieve a better performance. We are very proud and it’s a great challenge for us to participate once again in the German competition, as well as to debut in FS East”, says Henrique Karas, Team Leader of FST Lisboa.
The president of Técnico, Arlindo Oliveira, attended the opening session and congratulated the team: “Formula Student brings a great added value to our school, because what improves Técnico’ s image overseas is the quality of our students. Técnico provides its students good and strong problem solving skills in an unique way”. “You are helping to train the future engineers and scientists”, said Arlindo Oliveira to the sponsors.
About 80 companies sponsor this project. Novabase has been the main sponsor since 2010.
“This project is truly awesome!”, says João Nuno Bento, CEO of Novabase. “You will get a job right after you graduate”, said João Nuno Bento to Técnico students. But the most important is that “you have the right job when you finish your course, that will allow you to contribute to change the world”, he added. “Participating in Formula Student will help you to learn working in a team, to manage deadlines and to improve your responsibility skills”, he pointed out.
FST Lisboa team is composed of 40 students from 5 different engineering courses. 9 prototypes have been created since 2001: 3 prototypes powered by an internal combustion engine and 6 fully electric prototypes.
