The first FST held a demonstration competition, with student teams and the industry gathering at Lihpao Racing Circuit to enhance the value of technical exchange and industry-university cooperation

Contact : PR Doris Wu 0933078170 / PR Chloe Hsiao 0976251513

Issued by : Taiwan Student Formula Association

2025.05.26

The Taiwan Cup Student Formula Championship (FST), which is committed to promoting engineering education, held a "Technology Showcase" for the first time this year. Compared with the previous official competition format, the Technology Showcase focuses more on the "communication" between the teams and the industry. On that day, a total of 4 student teams exhibited, 15 manufacturers set up stalls, and the site was open to the public for free, attracting more than 500 people.

▲Group photo of the technical demonstration competition. The participating teams from left to right are National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei University of Science and Technology, National Tsing Hua University, and Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Deputy Director of the Economic Development Bureau of Taichung City Government, Li Yian, said in his speech: "FST is not only a stage for young people to realize their dreams, but also an important platform for them to learn in the practical field. We hope that this activity can continue to thrive in Taichung and become a local feature event, bringing more young people valuable practical experience."

Yulon Motor Vice President Li Jianhui said: "The students have gone through many tests from racing car design to actual racing tracks, and their passion and perseverance are touching. Yulon Group also hopes to promote exchanges between academia and industry through such activities, and strengthen the innovation and development of the automotive industry."

Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co., Ltd. Manager Su Weixiang said, "We hope to continuously improve tire quality and competition level through closer technical exchanges between the FST competition, student teams and the industry."

▲Group photo at the opening ceremony

The morning show session was originally scheduled to be cancelled due to heavy rain, with BRP-Rotax as the "safety car" leading the student teams around the kart track. Rotax, a well-known power brand under Canadian company BRP, unveiled its newly developed electric kart for the first time at the race. The cooperation between BRP and the student formula symbolizes a new milestone for BRP in the field of sustainable mobility and electric technology.

The electric karts on display are manufactured by BRP-Rotax Austria and are combined with an advanced power system designed by a Taiwanese R&D team, perfectly embodying the innovative collaboration of international teams.

Supplement: BRP-Rotax electric kart

BRP-Rotax electric kart debuts, combining Austrian craftsmanship with Taiwanese R&D capabilities

Rotax, a well-known power brand under Canadian company BRP, will publicly display its newly developed electric kart for the first time at this year's "Formula Student Taiwan Cup". This is not only the first appearance of the product, but also symbolizes a new milestone for BRP in the field of sustainable mobility and electric technology.

The electric karts on display are made by BRP-Rotax Austria and are combined with an advanced power system designed by a Taiwanese R&D team, perfectly reflecting the innovative cooperation of international teams. The Rotax brand has long focused on the development of high-performance engines and racing sports, and is now actively investing in electrification transformation to demonstrate its commitment to future racing and green technology.

BRP-Rotax electric kart debuts, combining Austrian craftsmanship with Taiwanese R&D capabilities►

The weather was fine in the afternoon and the rain stopped. The exhibition race went on as scheduled. The four teams were divided into two groups to conduct the endurance race test. The rules of this race are that the team must drive continuously on the kart track for 15 minutes to be considered finished. The driver can be replaced in the middle, and the number of laps is not fixed. The endurance race mainly tests the reliability and durability of the vehicle, and also tests the driver's driving skills.

The first race was between National Tsing Hua University and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and the second race was between Taipei University of Science and Technology and Yangzhou Jiaotong University. Yangzhou Jiaotong University sent a fuel truck, and drivers from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei University of Science and Technology, and Yangzhou Jiaotong University all exchanged positions and finished the race smoothly.

▲After passing the safety inspection, each school team can participate in the 15-minute endurance race. During the race, the driver can be replaced once. From top to bottom, the teams are National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Tsing Hua University, Taipei University of Science and Technology, and Yangzhou Jiaotong University.

This year's show also invited Mr. Nakanishi, who has more than 30 years of experience in electric vehicle development and is also a member of the JSAE Japan Student Formula Vehicle Inspection Committee, to give a speech and share his practical experience in EV system design and testing. He pointed out that electric vehicle systems are far more complex than traditional ICDs (interface control documents) and involve cross-departmental collaboration and wiring management, so "pre-installation testing" and "system integration thinking" are particularly critical.

Mr. Nakanishi also pointed out with examples that some teams skipped the test due to rushing, which led to communication interruption, battery abnormalities and other problems during the actual car stage, and even affected the qualification for the competition. He emphasized that a complete pre-verification and testing process is the foundation for the team to avoid risks.

▲Mr. Nakanishi, who has more than 30 years of experience in electric vehicle development, shared his practical experience in EV system design and testing

Theme of the sharing session and background of the speakers

Topic of the day's sharing session: Mr. Toshiaki Nakanishi | From practical experience in the Japanese automotive industry to judging competitions: Mr. Nakanishi talks about FSAE and vehicle design trends based on his 30 years of battery experience
Speaker introduction: Mr. Nakanishi Toshiaki, former senior technical director of Toyota Battery (formerly Primearth EV Energy) | JSAE Japan Student Formula One vehicle inspection committee member | battery technology expert
Speaker's important experience:

Since joining the Japan Student Formula E (JSAE) EV Inspection Committee in 2017, Mr. Nakanishi has continued to help improve the technical standards of the Japanese competition and was awarded the 2024 JSAE Fellow Engineer Award.
He has over 30 years of experience in electric vehicle battery development. In his early years, he participated in the development of the battery system and ECU of the world's first mass-produced hybrid car, Toyota Prius. He also served as a senior technical director at Toyota Battery for a long time, responsible for core tasks such as battery pack design.
Mr. Nakanishi is also an expert in IEC61982-4 connector standards and won the FIA Suzuka EV Championship in 1997. He is still active in the field of vehicle dynamics and continues to engage in electric vehicle research at the Kanagawa University Vehicle Laboratory.

We were honored to invite him to be the speaker for this technical demonstration and arranged an opportunity for the team to communicate with him face to face before the race.

This year's event brought together companies from the automotive, electronics and manufacturing fields to set up booths for exchanges, including: Yulon Group, Cheng Shin Rubber Industry, Teco Electric, Chroma Electronics, Humen Technology, BRP-Rotax, Xingjing Technology, Zenitron... etc. In addition to displaying technology and products on site, companies also actively recruited talents, reflecting the value of industry-university cooperation.

Organizer: Taiwan Student Formula Association
Co-organizers: 嚴慶齡工業發展基金會、正新橡膠工業股份有限公司
Supervisors: 教育部新工程教育方法與建構計劃、成功機械文教基金會、臺中市政府經濟發展局
FST Technology Showcase Participating Companies: 嚴慶齡工業發展基金會、正新橡膠工業、東元電機、工豐手工具、致茂電子、虎門科技、BRP-Rotax、行競科技、增你強、MARS戰神行銷、昭旭創意工作室、智慧載具研發中心、SK2 TOEFL、中華汽車、納智捷
Fleet stall vendors: 伍仕電子、福士集團、接招行銷、浩瀚動力科技、有量科技

▲On the day of the event, 15 vendors came to set up their stalls

The Taipei Science Park team was also invited to showcase its eco-friendly and energy-saving vehicles, namely the TTR8-Eco-c and TTR9eco, which won the first place in the dynamic competition and the second place in vehicle manufacturing at the 32nd National College Eco-friendly and Energy-saving Vehicle Competition. The show was originally scheduled to be held in the morning with the FSAE vehicles, but was cancelled due to heavy rain.

The energy-saving car TTR8-Eco-c has an aluminum monocoque body that is lightened through topological analysis. It is powered by rear dual-drive motors that are paired with self-made molicel batteries that can produce up to 2kw of power. In addition, the self-developed electronic differential allows the car to be more agile the faster it goes.

▲Right: NTUST’s TTR8-Eco-c energy-saving car won first place in the dynamic competition; Left: NTUST’s TTR9eco energy-saving car won second place in vehicle manufacturing

As for the TTR9eco, the finite element analysis optimization design is used to create a lightweight chromium-molybdenum steel frame weighing only 7 kg, which is 46% lighter than the previous generation. The newly developed carbon fiber process combines 3D printing molds and RTM molding processes. The parts with a high self-production rate are extremely lightweight while taking into account structural strength, covering the seat, steering system, suspension and transmission system. The rear suspension assembly is analyzed and designed with reference to the Triangulated Four-Link Suspension structure of the Baja 1000 Cup racing car.

▲Students from the National Tsing Hua University team test-drove the TTR9eco energy-saving vehicle from the Beijing Institute of Technology and exchanged ideas at the venue

Also on display at the venue was Luxgen's new-generation pure electric SUV n7, which originated from Hon Hai Advanced, a joint research and development center of Yulon Group and Hon Hai Group. It is a new-generation pure electric SUV with intelligent driving assistance, creating Taiwan's own smart electric vehicle. At the FST event, n7 demonstrated V2G (vehicle to grid) functions, supplying electricity to produce fresh popcorn, demonstrating a new type of green energy vehicle application.

▲Luxgen's new generation pure electric leisure travel n⁷ was exhibited on site

The Taiwan Cup Student Formula League, which is about to enter its fifth year, still maintains its original intention and vision, hoping to continue to cultivate engineering talents through competitions and gain recognition from both home and abroad.

In order to be closer to official competitions abroad, the fifth session will include a "Business Report" project to allow students to simulate a real business environment. Students need to promote their racing cars as market products to virtual investors or internal boards (judges). In addition to evaluating the engineering capabilities of the team, the team is also required to have the ability to perform market analysis, financial planning, and business strategy formulation. We hope that through FST, student teams will gain more valuable experience and discover their strengths.