Asma Noor and Syed Muneeb, the team’s Public Relations Manager and Marketing and Communications Director respectively, took time out of their busy schedules to share their successes and plans for 2021 in our latest detailed interview.
Kindly give us an overview of your university and team!
We are Formula Electric Racing NUST, Formula Student team from PNEC - National University of Sciences and Technology. We have been associated with Formula Student since 2016 and have competed in 2018 and 2020. The team was among top five in business plan presentation, top 10 in the cost event in the virtual competition and is excitedly looking forward to the summer competition.
The last time we caught up with your team was in 2018, what has changed since then?
The 2018 event helped the team identify its weak areas and we have gradually been working on improved subsystems. Currently, the team is working on improving its powertrain by upgrading their accumulator system. Additionally, our engineers have installed a data logger system in this year's vehicle to collect data and transmit it wirelessly to our systems. Aside from vehicle upgrades, we are also working on in-house technologies: the current battery management system (BMS) team is working on an in-house BMS and charger which will be completed before the event. After getting critical reviews on design from judges, the team will include it on 2022's vehicle.
How has COVID been affecting the team in Pakistan? What sort of restrictions have you had to work under and how have you been overcoming these?
Since lockdown, the team has been coordinating virtually and is now well- adapted to this new working environment with the motto: “when in doubt, Zoom it”. Around mid-March 2020, lockdown had been imposed in our country and we weren’t able to come back to the office before mid-October. Even though the fabrication phase was affected by this halt, our directors came up with multiple timelines in order to ensure that the team stayed on track. These contingency plans also included assigning a few online courses to junior members and the mechanical team was able to complete its research on monocoque chassis, which they plan on implementing next year. The team was quite happy and hopeful after returning to the office when a second lockdown was imposed in the country, shifting things back online. Now that the team is once again back in the office, we are all set to complete their vehicle for 2021.
Do you collaborate with your colleagues from NUST Formula Student Team?
Team has good neighbourly relationships with NUST Formula Student team. Both teams share their technical expertise whenever need arises. Recently the teams collaborated for participation in Learn To Win. After attending the virtual event both teams had various detailed sessions discussing the feedback from judges in all presentations. Moreover, the teams also coordinate on matters of logistics, including shipping and custom issues.
What have been the biggest challenges with developing an electric vehicle and how have you overcome these?
With the EV culture in Pakistan still in its early stages it has always been a challenge to make people see eye to eye with our goals and ambitions. This scarcity in EV knowledge and technology also means that we have to import most of the components and parts used in our powertrain, leading to increased costs and lead times, and as a consequence, the team has improvised over the years by developing in-house systems, such as our own BMS and charging system. Another massive challenge that the team hopes to overcome this year is technical inspection; we have learned a great deal from our participation in Formula Student competition back in 2018 and are confident in qualifying for the dynamic events in 2021.
What do teams from Pakistan bring to the competition?
They add to the already diverse Formula Student community by bringing their own culture to the sport. With the little resources they have, work is done with considerable resilience to bring a race car to life, while also enjoying every moment of this job together. With the financial challenge looming large all the time, they are forced to make do with whatever little they have, making their solutions some of the most cost-effective ones in the competition.
With the progress seen over the years, they have started showing their true potential, which can be seen with team FERN’s 4th place in the BPP and 10th in the Cost Event in 2020. The technical side of their work has also seen steady improvements over time and can prove to be genuine competitors in years to come.
Teams from Pakistan prove to the world that participating in Formula Student is possible for any team, anywhere in the world. With bulletproof determination and a will to make a difference, it is possible to make it there even under the worst of circumstances.
Tell us about the vehicle you’re developing for FS2021!
Our vehicle for 2021 is the car that was originally intended to take part in the 2020 competition. COVID lockdown has prevented its completion so far, but the team is confident it will get it up and running in time.
The car is a rear-wheel drive EV powered by a three-phase induction motor that draws its energy from a 5.04 kWh accumulator. The chassis is a steel space frame with a pushrod actuated double wishbone suspension. Bodywork on the car is a combination of glass fibre and aluminium panels.
What are your goals for FS2021?
With the team never having cleared the technical inspection, the aim for this year’s competition is to have a rule-compliant vehicle that would take the team to its first dynamic event participation.
What have been your best moment of the competition so far?
It is tough deciding which FS moment is the best for this team. From waving Pakistan’s flag at Silverstone circuit, to witnessing first-hand, the magnificence of formula student teams from all around the world. Perhaps, the most defining moment for this team came after a period of struggle. Unable to participate in 2019, the team was more prepared than ever for the 2020 UK competition, only for COVID-19 to shatter our dreams. But with every dark cloud comes a silver lining and for us it was the virtual event. While this was not entirely what we had dreamed of, the team knew not to miss out on the exposure this event would bring and so we began the preliminaries. With every department figuring out their way forward, it was the Business Plan team who knew this was the perfect opportunity for their inexperienced team to go full throttle.
We anxiously waited for the results day and it finally arrived, only to leave us awestruck by the team’s 4th position in the Business Plan Presentation event. Not only had this been our team’ best ever ranking, this was the best ranking from any team in Pakistan ever and that too under the worst possible circumstances. This achievement has given us a much-needed morale boost to perform better in the upcoming competition and it is safe to say, this has been the best moment of the competition – so far.
What made you and/or some of your team members join Formula Student?
Most of us grew up in environments unknown to the world of Formula Student but we were fascinated by the world of engineering. Setting foot in PNEC-NUST, we knew this university had something different, something exciting. Seeing not one, but 2 Formula Student teams having competed internationally, this was a platform too big for us to miss. While most people start their careers after graduation, FS team members begin exploring the vast amount of opportunities (be it engineering, marketing, business or documentation) from the very first day in a Formula Student team. Being able to socialize with peers who share the same level of passion for engineering as you do, work under critical situations, get the required skillsets for your dream job and the best part, to make lifelong friends with endless memories, this is indeed why most of us join a Formula Student team.
What would you say to anyone just starting FS for the first time this year?
I personally think that the threshold of dedication, commitment and discipline required to be a part of Formula Student is vastly different than any other student competition/event being held globally. However, if I were to pick one collective trait essential for success within FS, it would most definitely be CONSISTENCY. Setbacks, failures & thoughts of uncertainty will grip you at every step along the way, but the only weapon you’ll need in order to eliminate all your obstacles will always be consistency, while every other aspect of your journey, slowly but surely, will eventually fall in its place. Here’s your key to success, own it for the rest of your life.
Who or what inspires you and the team?
The entire team itself: the teamwork, dedication, harmony & inter-departmental respect which our entire crew imparts is at the finest level of every professional & academic definition. Witnessing every member of the team giving their 100% towards a unified cause, boosts our motivation every single day of the week, which is eventually what keeps the morale high through times of extreme stress & hardships. What more could one want?
Who in the team deserves some recognition for their work?
The unwavering commitment that all of the team has shown over the past year makes it very difficult to name one person but our Mechanical Director, Hamza Bin Zafar aka Flappy, deserves some extra recognition, especially for the level of dedication and passion he has for Formula Student. He’s someone who you will always find in the garage after classes and has never shirked his responsibilities. He not only managed the special condition presentation single-handedly for the virtual event but has also astonished us with the way he has dealt with the knowledge gap in his department.
Anyone you would like to thank?
AN: The team is eternally grateful to its sponsors for always having our back in critical times. Our faculty advisor Dr Bilal Muhammad, is our constant source of guidance and our man of crises. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the university administration for being very cooperative, allowing us ample amount of space and time to effectively carry out team operations. And to all our friends and family who have been a big support, without whom we could not have found the right motivation to stay firm on our goals.
Thank you to Asma and Syed for their excellent answers and inspiring comments about what the competition means to them; we wish the team the very best for finishing their car and we hope to see it pass scrutineering and on the track in summer competition. To keep up to date with the team’s progress, please be sure to follow their social media channels:
Facebook: Formula Electric Racing NUST
Twitter: Formula Electric Racing NUST
LinkedIn: Formula Electric Racing NUST