Formula Student ISEP

Project Context and Challenges

Formula Student ISEP is a university engineering team founded in 2023. In the 2024 season, we officially competed for the first time in our history, participating in the Design Class category.

For the 2025 season, our goal is to take a significant step forward by competing internationally for the first time and achieving at least one podium finish. This achievement will serve as a key validation of our design and technical capabilities, allowing us to confidently advance to the production phase.

Once validated, our next milestone is the construction of our first fully functional prototype, establishing a solid foundation for the future growth and competitiveness of our team.

Achievements and Objectives

In our debut season, we achieved:

• 5th place overall in the Design Class at Formula Student Portugal
• 2nd place overall in the Design Class at Formula Student France

These results provided the validation and confidence to move forward with prototype production.

Our objectives for the 2025 season are to:

• Participate in Formula Student Portugal and Formula Student Spain with our completed prototype
• Successfully pass the scrutineering (technical validation) phase in both competitions

Project Description

Our project covers the full development process, from mechanical systems such as chassis and suspension, to aerodynamics, powertrain, and electrical and control systems.

In the latter, we take special pride in developing our own custom PCBs for data acquisition, power distribution, safety systems, and vehicle control.

We adopt a hybrid design approach, combining THT (Through-Hole Technology) and SMD (Surface-Mount Device) components. This method ensures that our boards are straightforward to solder and test by hand, while maintaining a clean, professional look worthy of a competitive racing project.

All our PCBs are limited to two layers, which allows us to optimise costs, streamline design, and simplify production without compromising reliability or functionality.

The four images below showcase some of our custom PCB designs, each serving a critical role in our electric vehicle, from high-voltage monitoring and protection to low-voltage control and communication.

Beyond the engineering challenge, this project embodies the spirit of applied learning and innovation. It gives us the opportunity to transform theoretical knowledge into real-world solutions, while strengthening ISEP’s position as a reference in engineering education and student-driven research.

PCBWay’s support would allow us to further improve the design and reliability of our electronic systems, helping us bring our first electric race car to life. We look forward to the possibility of working together and achieving our engineering goals with your expertise.