During 16th-21st September 2022, the 2022 Formula Student China series competitions were held at the Jianghuai Automobile Proving Ground in Hefei City, Anhui Province, with 105 teams and more than 2,600 college students from universities across the country including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, Jilin University and South China University of Technology enrolled. The Formula Racing team of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) won the national third prize in the 2022 Formula Student Electric China and was highly appraised by the judging panel for their novel topic in business defense.
The preparation process for the 2022 season is fraught with difficulties and challenges. Contestants had just finished the online defense of the 2021 season in June. They were soon notified that the offline competition of the 2022 season, originally scheduled for October, would be held one month earlier. In order to ensure that they can participate in the race in the best condition, the UNNC team readjusted their work plans, returned to school in advance temporarily and used their summer vacation to refurbish their car.
The Innovation Lab of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FoSE) became the base for them. Students from various degree programmes including Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics with Applied Mathematics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Faculty of Business worked together to prepare for the competition. Finally, with the joint efforts of the team members with the financial support from the Department of Campus Life and academic supervision from the FoSE, the project proceeded smoothly and they were learning from each other.
This competition brings together talents from many universities across the country. On the field, they would visit each other's pit house, communicate and share their experience and technologies. Junjie Tao, the acting team leader of UNNC's team, recalled, "When other team saw our race car, they all began to remember their memories with their prototype. It touched me most that their cars maybe matured and they all came from the little and grow little by little in this competition.”
Moreover, Bingru Wu, a student majoring in Finance Accounting and Management, said that their race car accumulates efforts and wishes of the four batches of UNNC students, and it was a highlight in his university career that he could join this hard-core project of FoSE. "This competition has been very fruitful. While making friends from well-known universities all over the country, we have also accumulated experience and laid a good foundation for our competition next year. I was happy that our business plan has defeated a lot of long-established teams, and I hope we can make persistent efforts next year and achieve better results."
From the summer research project in 2016 to the two competition experiences in 2022, UNNC students said they were never alone. They have excellent team members from different faculties, who brainstormed and united. The University’s and the Faculty's support and trust are the driving force and make them confident to move forward firmly. Dr Dunant Halim and Dr Gavin Lai have been supervising the student team for years.
The 2022 season has ended successfully, and the design work for the 2023 season is in full swing. Next season, the students will design a brand new formula electric car, and in the new year, they will keep the original intention and continue to forge ahead.