Many of our undergraduates are involved in Illinois' multidisciplinary car teams, which are rooted in MechSE and The Grainger College of Engineering. Although this academic year isn't a traditional one, the car teams have set some big goals and are already accomplishing great things.
Illini Formula Electric: FSAE Electric
Captain Ben Schultz: “In recent years Illini Formula Electric has been making great strides in the competition field. This year we have decided to move from a single motor rear wheel drive car to a four wheel drive car which will help to propel the team closer to a first place finish in the years to come. We are hopeful for an in-person FSAE competition this year and we are working hard this semester to be able to bring the next generation of Illini Formula Electric to competition this year." Support the team by choosing "Illini Formula Electric Car Fund" under Student Society Support on our online donation page.
Illini Motorsports: FSAE
President Salam Mulhem: “FSAE Illini Motorsports is excited for the upcoming season, with plans for some of the biggest design changes the team has ever seen. COVID-19 has shaken things up a bit for us, but we're Illinois engineers - we adapt! We are celebrating 40 years of race history this season, and are excited for many more years of excellence.” Support the team by choosing "SAE Formula Car Fund" under Student Society Support on our online donation page.
The Off-Road Illini: Baja SAE
Captain Jack O'Donnell: “The most exciting thing for Baja this year is our transition from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive. It poses a huge engineering challenge and a fundamental redesign of many components, but our team has done an incredible job at working virtually and I can’t wait to see how everything turns out.” Support the team by choosing "SAE Baja Car Fund" under Student Society Support on our online donation page.
Eco Illini Supermileage
Captain Justin Kao: “Last academic year, we suspended production of our dedicated electric vehicle due to the pandemic, yet we attended the virtual Shell Eco Marathon Americas and finished 7th overall in the Design Report Challenge at SAE Supermileage. We are excited to hopefully have both our gas and electric cars running by the end of this season in time for Shell Eco Marathon Americas and Supermileage SAE. Our gas car will be undergoing heavy optimization, while our electric car is going to be fitted with our new brushless motors in our lightest vehicle to date. We look to manufacturing quickly, test extensively, and optimize moving forward.” Support the team by choosing "Eco Illini Supermileage Car Fund" under Student Society Support on our online donation page.
Illini EV Concept
President Dmitry Ilchenko: “This year we are planning to finalize the build of our current car and make it both as efficient as possible and visually appealing. We are going to achieve that by utilizing our new, more powerful and efficient brushless motors, installing new suspension, manufacturing super light carbon fiber rims, and paint coating the body of the car.” Support the team by choosing "Ecomarathon UrbanConcept Car Fund" under Student Society Support on our online donation page.
Solar Car
President Tim Damisch: “Illini Solar Car has done a great job transitioning and continuing work remotely. We are hoping to complete our second-generation car by the end of the Fall semester, then hit the ground running with testing in the Spring. This will all be in preparation for the American Solar Challenge that will happen next summer.”