A New Challenge
A Chassis Fit For an Electric Vehicle
This year at SHU Racing we are developing our first iteration of an electric vehicle (EV). This reflects the current trends in the automotive industry and ensures that the engineering students which pass through the teams, have the relevant experience and knowledge if they choose to enter the automotive industry. This shows the teams commitment to continuing in Formula Student and our continuous drive to becoming more a more competitive team.
As this is the first year of physical development for the EV, the team has taken the decision to enter the vehicle into the concept class. This allows for a longer development cycle which allows the team to set a solid foundation for future years. By taking a longer development cycle we will be able to build a test vehicle which can be used for a test of concept and data collection. This also reduces the cost of development for next year as we can absorb a lot of the initial cost into this year thus ensuring the future of the team.
As the 2020 Formula Student competition was cancelled, the EV team is modifying the 2019 chassis developed last year to suit the EV. The chassis is being modified to remove tubing which was used for engine mounting and is therefore unnecessary as the EV does not have the same powertrain components. It must also be able to withstand the increased torque produced by the electric motor.
Meet the Team
Meet the Team is an opportunity for us to give you a chance to learn a little more about the people who make up SHU Racing. This week, we welcome our new Suspension Manager, Jake Tasker. Jake oversees all aspects of the suspension for this years car as well as working on the new backplate design for the chassis. He is also hoping to start work on a rig for testing the engine.
Name: Jake Tasker
Age: 22
Course: Meng Mechanical Engineering
Role: Suspension and Logistics Manager
Number of years with the Team: 5
Hobbies and Interests: Building things i.e. Lego, Woodworking and metal working. Video Games. Football
Favourite Car: Lancia Stratos
Dream Job: Astronaut
Reasons for Joining SHU Racing: I joined because I wanted to get extra hands on experience alongside my degree, it also fed into my own interests of building things.
