MSOE’s Formula Hybrid team took fourth place in the world at the Formula Hybrid Competition and first place in the United States. The competition was held in May at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Louden, N.H. Founded and run by Dartmouth, the competition challenges college and university students to design, build and compete high-performance hybrid and electric vehicles. Building on the Formula SAE program, Formula Hybrid adds an extra level of complexity: fuel efficiency.

The Formula Hybrid competition consists of a variety of dynamic and static events. Throughout the events, students assume the role of a design team engaged to create a prototype vehicle. Teams demonstrate their creativity and project management skills, as well as their vehicle’s performance and durability. The challenge is to create a vehicle that is road-worthy and prevail over other designs. Events are scored to determine how well a vehicle will perform.

2015_SAE_Formula_Hybrid2.jpgIn February it was announced that MSOE’s student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) was the Class 1 recipient of the 2014 SAE Honeywell Outstanding Collegiate Branch Award. This award, which was established in 1963 by the Bendix Corp., recognizes SAE Collegiate Branches for exemplary performance in the areas of technical meetings, networking opportunities, promoting SAE membership, activities including the Collegiate Design SeriesTM competitions, and community service programs like A World in Motion®. With 132 student members, MSOE’s SAE student chapter is the second largest student chapter in the U.S. and third largest in the world. The Formula Hybrid vehicle is one of several design projects MSOE’s SAE members work on each year.