Kindly give us an overview of your university and team!
Joshua Wright (JW): UPRacing Electric was formed in the 2018 season, and won the concept class competition in 2019, followed by finishing as the top EV team in the virtual static events of 2020.
We’ve learned a lot in the past 3 years and are hoping to continue our successes into the future, by competing in the concept class competition later this year and presenting Portsmouth’s first EV at FS2022!
UPRacing Electric have had a wealth of wins in the Static Events over the last few years, how does your approach differ from the norm?
JW: A common phrase on the team has always been “to finish first, first you have to finish” and we have really stuck to this, building the team from strong foundations in engineering principles, and most importantly reading the rules!
Coming from a concept class history, we have always focussed on making the static event submissions a focal point of the team and understanding the link between the events. Alongside this we operate under a set of ‘golden rules’ to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
What are you doing to maintain your dominance in the Static events?
JW: With the static event this year we’re really hoping to step up our game even more and show the judges something special. By linking all three static events and ensuring that they are assigned the same level of responsibility, we hope to create another well-rounded submission and give our engineers an appreciation for all areas of a project.
We have worked hard to stick to a holistic and iterative approach, making incremental changes each year rather than unsustainable leaps; and we hope to continue this trend for years to come until we’re up there with the big dogs!
How has COVID been affecting the team and how have you been overcoming any related issues?
JW: Late in the 2020 season it was decided that with the pandemic looking like it was going to stick around, our best bet was to enter the concept class competition for the 2021 season and ensure that we are ready to perform on the track for 2022.
It was decided that we would move entirely online and utilise MS Teams for team meetings and communications. As of yet we haven’t had a single team meeting in person, and it doesn’t seem to have hindered us yet, we meet several times a week with team members currently based all around the globe!
We’ve worked hard to integrate the team and ensure that everyone feels welcome, hosting team pub quiz nights, playing various video games and holding weekly team meetings to ensure we’re all on the same page.
Tell us about the vehicle/s you’re developing for FS2021 – are we finally going to see your EV in the flesh for the Dynamic Events?
JW: Not quite yet, but you may see parts if you’re lucky! With the concept class competition this year we are working to ensure that everything is ready for the 2022 competition, when we plan to bring Portsmouth’s first EV to the competition!
JW: We’re currently finalising the design and ensuring that we have everything in place to create a straightforward manufacturing process after FSUK 2021, and hopefully have plenty of time for testing to fully understand our vehicle.
What have been the biggest challenge to realising an electric vehicle from scratch and how have your managed to solve them?
JW: Creating an EV is no small feat, however we have been fortunate that from the beginning we had a small core group of individuals who worked hard to pioneer the vehicle and create strong foundations for the team to expand!
JW: Of course in designing anything there are numerous technical challenges, but fortunately the team has never shied away from being wrong, rather embracing the idea that we know nothing, and “the more that you know, the more you don’t know”! This has been critical in the learning process and I believe really made us stand out in the competition.
What are your goals for FS2021?
JW: FS2021 for us is such an important year as we are taking the opportunity to expand the team and ensure that the knowledge retention is there for when some of the older members of the team graduate in July. We’ve always operated as a small team, and this year we have more than doubled our number of members, now 33 people working hard over 8 different sections!
Of course our primary focus this year is ensuring that everything is in place for the manufacture and testing of our vehicle prior to the 2022 competition – however I would be lying if I told you it wouldn’t be nice to bring some more silverware back to Portsmouth again!
What have been your best moment of the competition so far?
JW: For me, the highlight was definitely the FSUK 2020 virtual competition and results! After such an unusual year it was such a great experience for the team, and massive credit to everyone that worked hard to make it happen!
Overall we were the only team to score over 100 points in every static event, which showcased the importance of linking the three static events; something we have been pushing since the team’s creation.
What made you and/or some of your team members join Formula Student?
JW: For me, Formula Student was an easy sell – Race cars!
FS is such a great way to experience so many aspects of the workplace before you get there and realise what you actually enjoy doing! I don’t think there is any project in the world that offers such a diverse range of work, and the opportunity to see a product life cycle from start to finish!
What would you say to anyone just starting FS for the first time this year?
JW: To all the newbies out there, the first and most important thing is to read the rules! I also can’t emphasise enough the importance of setting achievable and sensible targets for your situation, and not getting carried away! Make sure that you understand the fundamental principles and consider the bigger picture before you go crazy trying to make the most innovative design on the planet.
What do you think UPRacingE in particular bring to the competition?
JW: UPRacing Electric is still a very young team, and to be honest I think that we have the advantage of not knowing what we’re doing. This may not sound like an advantage, but it pushes us to learn and understand the basic concepts, building up from the fundamental principles and trying to present them in a cohesive manner.
Who or what inspires you and the team?
JW: For me it has been a story of proving myself, and prompting myself to work harder, as someone wiser than me once said “It’s a great excuse to be motivated”, and that is annoyingly very true!
Of course everyone has their own motivations, but in general for the team there is a dedication to make 2022 the year that Portsmouth competes with their first EV at the competition. This would be a massive achievement and we are fortunate to have many alumni members and supporters that are excited to see this happen!
Who in the team deserves some recognition for their work?
JW: I don’t think it would be fair to credit any individual, as everyone has been putting in really hard work as a team! We’ve been lucky this year to have a fantastic intake of new recruits, and the section heads and management have been working hard to ensure we are not only in a good position for the competition, but also integrating as a cohesive team!
Anyone you would like to thank?
JW: A massive thanks to our sponsors, who have supported us from the very beginning, Morson, Velocetec and DNA; without you this project would not be possible! Of course thanks to the University of Portsmouth for the ongoing support!
I’d also like to thank the volunteers that work hard to put on the FS event every year, and big thanks to Chris, Lucy and the IMechE team for such an amazing event every year; we can’t wait to see what FS2021 has in store!
A final special thanks to all members of UPRacing Electric, both past and previous, who have put in so much effort to build this team up from nothing and keep relentlessly pushing forwards regardless of the circumstances!