Third best team in FSAE world built their racecar using ENEPAQ modules

All of us like winning, no matter what the battle is. All of us like success stories as they are inspiring. But not many of us think of the price paid for becoming champions. New Zealand University of Canterbury Motorsport has the team UCM which has been ENEPAQ client for several years in a row. They are the ones who respectably hold the champions title of 2023 FSAE-Australasia competition and are ranked 3rd e-formula team worldwide. They certainly know how much it takes to be at this place.

It took 10 years of hard work to get to the top and it surely will be very challenging to maintain champions title in the upcoming competitions. As the team principal Isha Patel told ENEPAQ, building a vehicle for FSAE competition is a very complex design project. It needs to be done in a very short time, and it is mainly teamwork, not one man’s job.

Back to basics of FSAE and fundamentals of engineering

UCM car which was the fastest in 2023 Australasia competition ran a 2-wheel drive system using AMK’s in wheel motors with a custom reduction gearbox. It was powered by a 400V accumulator pack, utilizing a 96s5p configuration of 18650 Sony/Murata cells in an ENEPAQ module.

Combined with a simple yet effective diffuser and venturi system to provide ground effect, the car held a low overall weight of 179kg. The maximum speed of the race car was just over 100km/h.

The design for UCM23 was based on simplicity and reliability bringing the overall system back to basic vehicle design fundamentals.

“In 2023 we returned to the basics of FSAE and focused of the fundamentals of Engineering. We used the lessons learnt from our past FSAE vehicles to design and build a simplified car, which increased its reliability. This result would not have been possible without the tireless effort of the student lead team, and support from the university and sponsors”, – said I.Patel, when I asked her what is the recipe for their team’s success.

Values ENEPAQ robustness and reliability

UCM team have been using ENEPAQ modules for a few years in a row. Team principal I.Patel named several reasons for their decision.

“The ENEPAQ modules are very safe. It is easy for the team to work with them. Due to the variable sizes, we can configure them to suit the requirements for our accumulator (battery pack). We have used the VTC5A Sony/Murata Li-ion Battery Modules in the 1s5p configuration for our pack in 2023. This is because it was the best option based on current draw, and total pack supply across the accumulator, to get the car to the finish of the endurance event”, – explained I.Patel.

In her words, ENEPAQ modules are known for its robustness and reliability. So the company is the first contact when looking for cells to suit UCM Motorsports team’s battery requirements.

She also added that the screw cell taps are very convenient for assembly with their custom BMS (Battery Management System) PCB’s and help hold in the connectors to the temperature sensors.

“Enepaq modules come with a custom number of cells spot welded in parallel. This removes complexity during construction of the battery and ensures reliable inter-cell connections. The temp sensors are not easy to access, so if one were to fail, the pack is of limited use as the plastic housing would be broken to bit, when trying to repair. From a safety perspective the quality of manufacture of the housing is incredible and very durable. However, with any race team we are always on the lookout to reduce weight so a slightly slimmer packing would be ideal”, – I.Patel explained.

Biggest challenge for FSAE team – timing

FSAE is a heavily time constrained design project and as such, the biggest challenge for the most teams become revolving around timing. To manufacture parts on time and prepare the car to be shipped a month prior to the event in Australia in December (as the UCM team is from New Zealand) – it is a reality for the team to fit in.

“The team begins background research and learning and sees the end goal of the project all within 10 months. Keeping everyone focused on the goal early in the year, when it feels like you have plenty of time to complete your part, is a constant challenge. We are working with a large team, so communication is key with a project like this. It can often determine its success. However, as the car starts to take shape a sense of pride overtakes, and makes the journey much more rewarding”, – admits UCM team principal.

Seeing more women in motorsport

Typically, we imagine motorsport team operated by men. I.Patel agrees that this stereotype is still viable and is a challenge to break. But positive signs are already happening.

“UCM strives to be accessible and a welcome environment for all students. We are always encouraging anyone to be a part of our team and get involved with engineering cool race cars. We are actively involved with the UC Women in Engineering society outreaching to local secondary school students to encourage pursuing STEM as a career. At the University of Canterbury, it is evident that the pattern is changing, and this flows through to the club. We are seeing more and more women expressing interest and understanding that a career in motorsport or STEM is a possibility for them”, – UCM team principal explains.

Must win the Australasia competition in 2024

Being champions is one part, maintaining the title is totally different story. What team is preparing for the next competition which will take place in December 2024?

“This year’s car is largely inspired by UCM23. The team has analyzed the performance from 2023 and improved on the aspects that worked and changed those that did not. The car itself will look quite different with some bigger changes but fundamentally the team’s goal of lightweight and reliability holds”, – says I.Patel.

Only two teams worldwide are left to conquer if we look at the rankings. Will the team be ready for that?

“This will be a challenge for the team as the two teams ranked higher have both achieved great results. This is not to say that we do not aim to be first in the world, however to achieve this we must win the Australasia competition in 2024. The world rankings are based on the scaling of each competition and each team’s performance at their respective comps, so UCM’s primary goal is to win FSAE-A back-to-back,” – explains UCM Motorsport team principal.

More information about the team can be found on their official webpage University of Canterbury Motorsport- Home (ucmotorsport.com)

If you want to learn more about ENEPAQ battery modules, visit Li-ion Battery Modules 18650 and 21700 Cells for Battery Pack – ENEPAQ