Milestone: SZE’s Formula Student Team Switches to Electric Category

Created: 2025.01.16. 13:41

After the most successful season in its history, the Arrabona Racing Team will replace the internal combustion engine with an electric engine and will compete in the electric category, announced the Széchenyi István University’s Formula Student team. The switch is a huge challenge, but also a new perspective: students will have the opportunity to try out the latest technologies of e-mobility in practice, thus gaining even more competitive knowledge.

Last summer, the Arrabona Racing Team (ART) took first place overall at FS East, one of Europe’s most prestigious Formula Student competitions. The team achieved a historic feat on an international level, as it was the first Hungarian team to win a World-Ranked race – and it was achieved on its home track, the ZalaZone.

„The result of ART is the most significant achievement of the Hungarian Formula Student movement so far. This has been the wish and vision of all of us since we started building the team. I am especially proud that Széchenyi University was the first in Hungary to achieve this,” said Dr Dániel Feszty, Head of the Head of the Department of Vehicle Development at the institution, who said that the success shows the quality of the student talent workshops. He added, ART has developed an organisational knowledge that builds on the work of generations of intergenerational colleagues to provide the experience and mind-set that will enable its members to meet the challenges of electric drive.

At the ART „design freeze” event, Dr Dániel Feszty stressed that Audi Hungaria Zrt. in Győr has hired 26 former team members in the last three years, which shows the success of the training of young talents (Photo: Bettina Korinek)

The question arises: why did the team decide to look for new paths after the greatest success of its existence? The reasoning behind the move was explained by team manager Szilárd Bariska.

„The majority of the Formula Student field is gradually switching to electric drive, which is just following the policy of the prominent German and Austrian automotive companies. We have been considering the switch for years. However, such a major change entails considerable financial and professional risks, and after this summer’s races we were approached by several sponsors. With their support, our projected costs have been significantly reduced, allowing us the acquisition an all-electric propulsion system,” he explained.

„We’re still ‘petrol-heads’, but we’re doing this to learn new things. Working on an electric racecar is a challenge that many of us could not resist. Some of our members have stayed on for another year just to be part of the team and help create ART’s first electric car. There is a huge enthusiasm, everyone is very motivated,” said Szilárd Bariska.

The team leader pointed out that the experience gained in previous years is not lost, as most of it was not related to the combustion engine. However, they need to acquire new knowledge and to this end, they are working with the Automotive Industry Research Centre of Széchenyi University, partner companies and other Formula Student teams.

Szilárd Bariska said that the change of category is also reflected in the organisational structure of ART: in the spirit of efficient operation, the seven departments have been reduced to five.

„The heart of our new vehicle, the ART_12, is a system with a peak voltage of 600 volts, capable of delivering up to 140 kilowatts of power. Our primary energy source is a lithium-ion battery, which can complete the endurance event over long distances even without regenerative braking in the event of a malfunction. The direct current from the battery is converted into variable voltage using inverters. Thanks to our sponsors, we have secured the battery, electric motors, and inverters, and with the soon-to-open battery laboratory at the university, we will also be able to inspect and maintain our power source,” explained Mátyás Frech, the design lead.

Loss is unavoidable in the system, so the battery will be air-cooled while the motors and inverters will be water-cooled to ensure safe operation. The reliable operation of the vehicle will also be ensured by the use of new composite materials, which are both fire-retardant and insulating. The electric drive will be controlled by a dedicated dc-voltage system, while the team will use a proven, proprietary telemetry solution to analyse the vehicle’s driving dynamics data.

„The changeover has opened up a number of new opportunities that we have tried to exploit,” continues Mátyás Frech, „One of the most significant changes is that the energy from braking can be recharged into the battery, which means that we can achieve energy savings of up to ten times greater than with an internal combustion system. As the electric motor’s camshaft is not suited to a Formula Student racecar, the gearbox is a planetary gearbox we designed to deliver a top speed of 118 km/h. Our chassis has been significantly slimmed down this year, with narrower side boxes designed to reduce cooling requirements drastically. This has increased the downforce to drag ratio,” he explains.

Mátyás Frech stressed that the concept of the new car offers many development possibilities that were previously unimaginable due to the internal combustion engine (Photo: András Adorján)

The team presented the ART_12 plans and development directions to invited partners at a design freeze event. At the event, team manager Szilárd Bariska said that next season their racing schedule will be partially changed, as they will return to Germany after three years for the Formula Student Germany competition, in addition to the usual Austrian and Hungarian races.

„The electric drive marks the beginning of a new chapter in the team’s life. We have taken a big risk by choosing the road less travelled, but we think it will pay off,” said Szilárd Bariska, „Students benefit from the opportunity to learn about e-mobility and companies acquire engineers with up-to-date, marketable knowledge. As for our expectations: we probably won’t be able to repeat last year’s success this summer, but we are confident that we will be back on the podium in the near future.”

The team will compete in the Austrian, Hungarian and German races this season (Source: ART)