On Friday 5 July, LUMotorsport, the Formula Student Team at Loughborough University, unveiled their fully electric Formula Student car. The Team hopes this will be the first fully electric produced car to be able to pass scrutineering and hit the track at Silverstone. 

Designing and building the car with the move from combustion to electric brought a wealth of challenges but has been developed over the past five years and so was eagerly anticipated.  The Team had focused on four core aims when developing the vehicle: 

• Reliable accumulator running
• Strong transition of information
• Carbon Fibre wishbone development
• Improved powertrain cooling 

Most of the LUMotorsport Team Heads delivered presentations to their guests on aspects of the new car at the event, although not all of the area heads were available, such as Liv Moorcroft - Head of Statics and  Francesca Manson – Head of Composites, who were unable to attend on the day due to gaining new and exciting work and placement roles, a positive side-effect of working with the Formula Student Team at Loughborough; no fewer than 80% of FS Team members who graduated last year, gained graduate roles in F1 teams.

Attendees from across the university attended the launch, including academic leads; Prof Rachel Thomson – Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience; and; Prof Chris Rielly – Dean of the School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering (AACME.) 

LUMotorsport sponsors also attended the event: 

• Rockwood Composites – Produced Carbon Wishbones for LFS24 NEW Composite Suspension.
• Broder Metals Group – Provided material for Bearing Houses for LFS24 Suspension System, Stainless Steel for Accumulator Studs and Much more material.
• Photocentric – Provided 3D printed moulds for composite use making electrical boxes for the LFS24 – They also provided other 3D printed parts such as vortex generators for the front wing, Dash and HVDU boxes. 
• Lubrizol – Attended as a Partner.
• Caterpillar – Attended as a Partner.
• RML – Alumni.
• IMechE – Representing the organising body, visited team as was awarded the IMechE Financial Award.
• Lane Electronics – Partner supplying Electrical items for LFS24. 

It was great to see industrial partners at the event, chatting with Team and AACME School staff as well as some of our alumni who popped in to see how the newest team were getting on. 

The Team will be presenting their new car at the Formula Student Competition at Silverstone, UK in July, focusing their energy on this event to identify developments for the vehicle to further inform building a car in 2025 that meets all of the Team and Formula Student aspirations. 

In this, we wish LUMotorsport all the very best in the Formula Student competition this year and again congratulate them on building their first electric vehicle! 

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