The UMSAE Formula Electric team from the University of Manitoba has won a sponsorship from Tesla, with the automaker providing the student team with 2170 battery cells to power their electric race car.
Each year, the UMSAE Formula Electric team sets out to design and construct an electric formula-style race car that will go head-to-head with other university teams from all across North America. The team is filled with students from diverse engineering backgrounds such as mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. Recently three members of the UMSAE travelled to Tesla’s Fremont factory to attend an electric vehicles conference co-hosted by Tesla and Formula SAE (FSAE).
A few weeks later and the team received some good news. For several years Tesla has partnered with FSAE, with the automaker sponsoring some of the student teams by providing some of them with up to 10kWh of battery cells. This year 160 teams applied, and among with 67 teams offered a sponsorship was the team from the University of Manitoba.
 “Having our design backed by Tesla has provided a sense of confidence in our work and serves as a clear example of the value behind what we are doing. Being able to work with a company of that caliber is an opportunity very few can say they have had, so I think we all have a sense of eagerness and excitement to make the most of this partnership,” said Kaya Jones, Accumulator Design Lead. (via University of Manitoba)
Currently, the team is assembling their vehicle, in preparation to put it to the test against 75 other teams at the competition in June 2024. However since the Tesla battery cells won’t be arriving from Giga Nevada until December, they will be included in the team’s 2025 design. Last year the UMSAE Formula Electric team secured the 14th position out of 55, with the goal of achieving a spot in the top ten in next year’s competition.
“The Tesla Sponsorship marks a significant milestone for our FSAE Electric Team. Tesla’s support validates our team’s hard work and helps us develop a better electric vehicle and showcase Manitoba’s innovation on a global stage,” said Antony Zaky, Vehicle Control Software Lead.
