Called FST 04e, it is the first 100% electric and 100% Portuguese vehicle, and was developed by 17 students from Instituto Superior Técnico with the support of Novabase.
This prototype was the first of its kind, powered by electricity after several years betting on a university trophy in the same mold, but based on an internal combustion engine. More specifically, a 4-cylinder 600 cc engine coming from a Honda CBR 600 with intake restrictions and where the aim was to get the maximum output from the engine for every liter of fuel.In this lineage, the FST 04e represents the fourth generation of vehicles built by the FST Novabase Project team and the first with electric propulsion. This racing car has a suspension identical to the one used in Formula 1 cars and is composed of a tubular steel chassis, solutions that, by the way, carry over from the previous project. The great innovation is in the use of two extremely light and powerful electric motors, debiting around 35 hp each, powered by a lithium-iron phosphate battery unit. The FST 04e is designed for excellent performance on track, going from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4 seconds.
“This challenge puts to the test all the knowledge we have acquired in the university environment. However, it goes further and allows us to innovate as a team and develop new skills. Formula Student is a unique opportunity and also a gateway to markets as demanding as the automobile or energy, in addition to having been arousing the interest and support of several multinationals, which end up recruiting the best resources for their teams.” .André Cereja, project team leader
Pedro Lammy accepted to be the sponsor of this project and he cannot fail to praise the efforts of these young people
“The work that our future engineers do is commendable. I try to give my contribution in terms of settings and all the help a driver can give. A large team of engineers is formed that one day, eventually, could make it to Formula 1.”
For our part, it is with great satisfaction that we see the evolution of what might be the future of the automobile, and which, ironically, was also its most distant beginning. As you know, the first cars were powered by electric motors, however, the same reasons that complicate its implementation today also dictated its extinction: poor autonomy and excessive weight of the batteries.
We hope that, with this worthy investigation, some more steps have been taken towards overcoming these and other setbacks in the dissemination of these and other technologies in our day-to-day.
Congratulations on behalf of Razão Automóvel for the initiative!
Here is a video of the FST 04e in competition at Formula Student Spain 2011