Abu Dhabi University students showcase award-winning 160km/h F1 electric vehicle at Automechanika Dubai

The electric Formula 1 vehicle was designed and built by 25
university students as part of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Global Electric
Vehicle Challenge, securing a coveted second-place finish
The car is being showcased as part of Automechanika Dubai’s
newest event feature Innovation4Mobility, where attendees can
explore emerging trends from the fields of climate-neutral,
connected and autonomous mobility
Automechanika Dubai continues on 3 and 4 October at the Dubai
World Trade Centre
Dubai, UAE: Visitors to Automechanika Dubai have had the opportunity
to witness firsthand the results of over 12 months of design undertaken
by Abu Dhabi University students to build a fully electric Formula 1 (F1)
vehicle as part of the 2023 Global Electric Vehicle Competition.
The international competition, organised by Global EEE, a nonprofit
organisation for student competitions based in the US, was held for the
first time in the MENA region and took place at Hudayriyat Island, Abu
Dhabi. The competition took place over approximately 17 months and
comprised two stages, the first being the design, analysis, simulation
and virtual race, followed by construction, testing and finally, racing.
Showcased as part of Automechanika Dubai’s inaugural
Innovation4Mobility event feature, the high-performance F1 electric
vehicle can reach speeds of up to 160 km/h.
Speaking at Automechanika Dubai, Hasan Hamdan, Research
Assistant, Abu Dhabi University and final year Masters’ student,
said: “Powered by two batteries and four electric motors, each with 12
KW of power, this F1 car was designed in collaboration with the
university’s mechanical and electrical departments, with both under-and
post-graduate students taking part in the project. While common
components between all competing teams included the batteries and
motors, the universities individually designed all other elements of the

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Automechanika Dubai
2-4 October 2023
Dubai World Trade Centre

car. The team also dedicated significant attention to ensuring full
aerodynamic stability, recognising the criticality of the vehicle’s design.
“Emphasis was very much focused on technical innovation, rigorous use
of design, analysis and simulation tools, in addition to controlled testing,
with minimal budget.”
“The dream is now to work in the F1 industry!” he concluded.
Having previously only taken part in competitions to build smaller hybrid
electric vehicles, the Abu Dhabi University team were proud to be part of
a winning team for a project to build a car of this size and power. The
team also enjoyed successfully putting theory into application by using
the software learned as part of the course projects to analyse the F1 car.
Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, Portfolio Director at Messe Frankfurt
Middle East, the organiser of Automechanika Dubai, said: “Abu
Dhabi University’s focus on enhancing performance and maximising
efficiency speaks to the heart of discussions and displays in the
Innovation4Mobility section of Automechanika Dubai. The alternate fuel
vehicles, driving technologies, digitalisation, connectivity, and smart
infrastructure being showcased make this zone a must-attend to explore
the future of global mobility.”
The landmark 20 th edition of Automechanika Dubai, the largest
international trade exhibition for the automotive aftermarket and service
industry, will continue until 4 October at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
(DWTC). Welcoming 1,938 exhibitors from 61 nations, the event will
span 14 halls, showcasing a diverse range of innovative products,
services and technologies in front of a global audience of 45,000.