The road to glory: Formula Student clocks top speed in Bangladesh

If you blink, you will miss it. 

It's all a blur, after all, followed by an ear-shattering drone. As the cars zoom by, one after another, the spectators are left feeling the wind lash against their face, bracing for the dust the vehicles kick up.

One could be forgiven for thinking this is a Formula One race. But closer inspection makes it evident that there are notable differences.

The competing cars are not professionally manufactured; they are all designed by engineering university students.

This competition is called Formula Student.

Soon after the beginning of Formula One, race enthusiasts began to contemplate a similar race competition for students.

Photo: Courtesy

With this thought, Formula SAE was first held at the University of Austin in Texas in 1980 under the initiative of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). 

The UK version of the competition, called Formula Student, soon became popular worldwide. Formula Student competitions are regularly held in several countries around the world including the US, Japan, Italy, Germany, and the UK.

Not to be left behind, Bangladeshi teams are fast catching up and are regularly taking part in Formula Student, seizing the opportunity to rub shoulders with students and industry giants from big car-making nations. 

Photo: Courtesy

Here, Bangladeshi students showcase their mastery of all aspects of the car-making process, often grabbing prestigious positions. 

Rajshahi Engineering University's (Ruet) "Team Crack Platoon", and Khulna Engineering University's (Kuet) "Team Kilo Flight", are among several teams from Bangladesh that have made a name in the competition.

And it all began with a love for speed.

Building teams

Their love for cars and competition is what gave birth to the Crack Platoon, the team's captain Sheikh Toki Tahmid told The Business Standard.

In 2015, several students of Ruet participated in an off-road vehicle competition in India with their quad bikes. They became hooked to the sport after winning the "Best Passionate Team" award in the competition. Once they came to know about Formula Student, they formed Crack Platoon.

Kilo Flight was established in 2018, said Arfan Islam, the team's founder. The club's activities started with the mindset of doing something innovative.

At the core of the two teams are their members. To participate in Formula Student, team members must be current students. Therefore, members are picked from fresh students.

Crack Platoon finds new members through social media and setting up booths in the university. Following a one-day workshop, written and oral tests are conducted and the new members are screened.

"The most important thing for new members is their confidence and team spirit," said Toki Tahmid. Besides, their basic knowledge and interest in cars are also important. 

Echoing a similar sentiment, Arfan Islam said, "Interest is the most important for new members. Creativity and morale are also vital."

The Formula Student is not limited to mechanical engineers, but requires knowledge and skills in various fields, from car design, planning, manufacturing, and testing. 

Therefore, students of various engineering fields can join the teams, including mechanical engineering, mechatronics engineering, industrial and production engineering, material science and engineering, chemical engineering, leather engineering, etc.

The competition

Formula Student events are divided into two classes: Formula Student Class (main event) and Concept Class. 

In the concept class, teams participate in design, cost, manufacturing, and presentation. It looks at how well the car is designed, how well it is built at a low cost and how well the teams present their cars.

The main event is for teams that have finished building cars and can transport the cars to the host country. They participate in dynamic events where the performance areas of the car are evaluated.

Achievements

Crack Platoon participated in the first Formula SAE Japan in 2017 after India's off-road vehicle competition in 2015. At that time, their work was limited to concepts. 

However, at Formula SA Japan in 2019, they participated in the on-spot Formula Student Class with their electric car. They achieved 16th place among 28 teams from seven countries.

At the 2023 Formula India, the team once again participated in the Concept Class and finished 16th out of 37 countries. They will participate in next year's competition with a direct physical car. 

Kilo Flight, meanwhile, has participated in Formula Student UK twice before, both in the concept class. In the 2020 and 2021 competitions, they were ranked 50th and 33rd respectively. They have also received invitations to participate in concept classes in 2023 Formula Student UK, Formula SA Japan and Romania.

Building cars

According to Arfan Islam, a definite plan is needed first. Then one by one the parts are designed and assembled according to certain rules.

Building a Formula Student grade car requires confidence and an effective team, said Toki.  

Both teams focus on using local and eco-friendly materials in building cars. For instance, Crack Platoon has used bamboo cane in its car seats to highlight the local cane industry. Both teams have also used jute fibres. 

The energy consumption of cars is evaluated separately in the competition. Therefore, Crack Platoon has been working with fully electric cars since 2019, using a type of braking system in their cars that are capable of converting the vehicle's kinetic energy into usable electrical energy. 

Kilo Flight has also started working on building electric cars for future competitions. The transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles is also a big step in being environmentally friendly.

However, both said financial issues are the hardest. Building a car for the competition requires around Tk12 lakh to Tk18 lakh, for which the teams approach sponsors. 

Another major is the procurement of car parts, most of which are imported. Several foreign companies have helped the teams by supplying parts. 

There are also technical barriers, Toki and Arfan said. A lot of testing is required to make sure a car is working properly. Such infrastructural facilities are totally inadequate in Bangladesh. 

Due to these limitations, Bangladesh lags behind in the main event of the competition.

Building capacity 

Through the competition, not only knowledge is gained, but the teams also play an important role in networking at various levels in the country and abroad. 

By participating in international competitions, clubs have the opportunity to connect with foreign organisations, Toki and Arfan said.

In 2023, Elon Musk's Tesla joined Crack Platoon as an innovation partner, which advises Crack Platoon members at various stages from car design to manufacturing. 

Also, various organisations in Bangladesh are associated with Crack Platoon and Kilo Flight as sponsors, many of which are involved in the engineering sector. 

According to Toki, a team member gains a detailed understanding of each step by completing a vehicle design, simulation, parts procurement, manufacturing process, and logistics of transporting vehicles.

This experience can help students get jobs or prepare them for a startup, he said.

Apart from the technical side, the club members benefit from theoretical or academic aspects of building cars as everything involved has to be researched.

Moving ahead

Crack Platoon and Kilo Flight are rushing towards building environmentally-friendly cars as per demands worldwide.

In 2019, Crack Platoon became the first club to build a fully electric formula car. They will participate in Formula SAE Switzerland with another electric car in July this year. Moving away from combustion cars, they are focusing on making electric cars. 

Kilo Flight is also working on their electric car. Their next goal is to develop driverless cars.

Both clubs have similar future goals. Building a regular pipeline of automobile engineers from their experience in building formula racing cars and starting commercial production of cars in Bangladesh, making "Made in Bangladesh" more meaningful.