About Formula SAE

In 1981, we were one of the original 4 teams to attend a new competition event called Formula SAE. The first event was held in Texas and run by an organization called the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), which hints at the name FSAE. We have consistently attended all FSAE events each year since the series' inception. SAE, after 17 years, teamed up with IMechE for the same style competition in Europe called Formula Student. We have only competed in a few Formula Student events throughout our history.

Static Events

Business Presentation

3 Step process to focus on selling your team to an investor or buyers of your team's car. Consists of the following:
- Request for Proposal
- Virtual Presentation
- Finals Presentation

Cost Presentation

Assess the team's Ability to make a budget-friendly car that can win.

Design

Evaluate the team's adherence to good design practices during the conception, iteration, integration, and validation of every subsystem on the vehicle.

Dynamic Events

Acceleration

Measures the car's acceleration over a 75m straight track.

Skid-Pad

Measures car's cornering ability over a constant-radius turn over a figure-8 track.

Autocross

Measures a car's maneuverability and handling over a tight course with a series of straights and turns.

Endurance

Measures a car's durability and reliability over a race around the track.

Efficiency

We measure how much fuel was used in the car during the endurance event. We are then scored on whoever used the least amount of fuel, is the winner of this event.

Why FSAE?

Formula SAE competitions challenge us students to conceive, design, fabricate, develop, and compete with internal combustion, formula-style vehicles. The competition is an engineering && business education competition that requires performance demonstration of vehicles in a series of events, both off track and on track, against the clock. Each competition provides teams with the opportunity to showcase their creativity and engineering skills in comparison to those from other universities worldwide.

We essentially work for an engineering firm that is designing, fabricating, testing, and demonstrating a prototype vehicle. The vehicle should have high performance and be sufficiently durable to complete all the events at the Formula SAE competitions. Each student team design will be judged and evaluated against other competing designs in a series of Static and Dynamic events to determine the vehicle that best meets the design goals and is profitably built and marketed.

Formula SAE promotes careers and excellence in engineering & business as it encompasses all aspects of the automotive industry, including research, design, manufacturing, testing, developing, marketing, management, and finance.

-SAE International

FSAE / Formula Student Events Map

FUN FACT

Before FSAE was around, there was a competition called Mini-Indy, which our very own professor, Dr. William Shapton, had wanted to continue. The University of Texas (Austin) became a founder of FSAE after they learned that Mini-Indy no longer existed.

Our History