Taipei Tech Racing Excels at FSAE-A: First Taiwanese Team to Win Inspection Award
The Taipei Tech Racing (TTR) team concluded a successful run at the 2024 Formula SAE-Australia (FSAE-A) in December 2024, competing against 22 teams from around the globe. Participating in this race made TTR the first Taiwanese team to finish the endurance race in Australia. They are also the second Taiwanese team ever to complete a Formula SAE event abroad. In addition, the team also claimed the Technical Inspection Award and their race car was ranked well in other categories, including sixth in fuel efficiency, eighth in skidpad, and tenth in autocross.
Team captain Lin Yuan-shen, a Department of Mechanical Engineering student, noted that this marked the team’s first overseas race in five years, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Taipei Tech Racing. “We achieved a major breakthrough by completing the endurance race, which demands exceptional design and vehicle reliability,” Lin said. The team balanced performance with durability, particularly during the 22 km endurance challenge—a demanding race where even a single critical component failure could end their endeavor.
TTR competed with its eighth-generation race car, the TTR8 EV, featuring:
• An updated frame with extensive tube bending for an 18% increase in torsional stiffness
• A refined manufacturing process for aerodynamic components, resulting in a 35% lighter front wing
• Advanced Accumulator assembly using laser and argon welding to reduce thermal deformation
• A self-developed Electronic Control Unit (ECU) showcases R&D capabilities comparable to those of top international universities
Associate Professor Chiang Hsin-han of the Department of Vehicle Engineering, one of the team’s advisors, explained that shipping the car overseas required completing logistical preparations at least a month in advance. Additionally, a team left for Melbourne a week before the competition to oversee assembly, finalize the Battery module assembly, and purchase additional racing equipment.
During the competition, TTR members engaged in active exchanges with other teams. They were invited to visit Monash University and the University of Melbourne afterward, gaining insights into vehicle design strategies and presentation techniques in static events. Static events in student formula racing typically refer to vehicle design and analysis presentations. These events are opposite to dynamic events, where the actual vehicles are put through various tests and challenges.
TTR extends gratitude to all sponsors and the university for their support. With valuable experience from FSAE-A, the team has renewed confidence and a broader vision and is already gearing up to develop an even more capable race car to achieve higher rankings in future international competitions.
Team captain Lin Yuan-shen, a Department of Mechanical Engineering student, noted that this marked the team’s first overseas race in five years, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Taipei Tech Racing. “We achieved a major breakthrough by completing the endurance race, which demands exceptional design and vehicle reliability,” Lin said. The team balanced performance with durability, particularly during the 22 km endurance challenge—a demanding race where even a single critical component failure could end their endeavor.
TTR competed with its eighth-generation race car, the TTR8 EV, featuring:
• An updated frame with extensive tube bending for an 18% increase in torsional stiffness
• A refined manufacturing process for aerodynamic components, resulting in a 35% lighter front wing
• Advanced Accumulator assembly using laser and argon welding to reduce thermal deformation
• A self-developed Electronic Control Unit (ECU) showcases R&D capabilities comparable to those of top international universities
Associate Professor Chiang Hsin-han of the Department of Vehicle Engineering, one of the team’s advisors, explained that shipping the car overseas required completing logistical preparations at least a month in advance. Additionally, a team left for Melbourne a week before the competition to oversee assembly, finalize the Battery module assembly, and purchase additional racing equipment.
During the competition, TTR members engaged in active exchanges with other teams. They were invited to visit Monash University and the University of Melbourne afterward, gaining insights into vehicle design strategies and presentation techniques in static events. Static events in student formula racing typically refer to vehicle design and analysis presentations. These events are opposite to dynamic events, where the actual vehicles are put through various tests and challenges.
TTR extends gratitude to all sponsors and the university for their support. With valuable experience from FSAE-A, the team has renewed confidence and a broader vision and is already gearing up to develop an even more capable race car to achieve higher rankings in future international competitions.