0 Appreciate Project

HofSpannung Motosport e.V. - Project Neon

HofSpannung Motorsport is the Formula Student team of Hof University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Since 2012, our interdisciplinary student team has been developing electric race cars for international Formula Student competitions, combining innovation, engineering, and practical experience.

Despite being a comparatively small team, HofSpannung Motorsport is currently ranked 85th worldwide out of approximately 480 Formula Student teams in the World Ranking List (WRL). Most systems of the vehicle are fully developed in-house by students.

Artemis and Team at FS Czech 2025

Our previous vehicle, Artemis, marked an important milestone for the team and introduced several major technical improvements. For the first time, we implemented a decentralized low-voltage electronics architecture with a fully integrated CAN bus system, significantly improving modularity, reliability, and expandability of the vehicle electronics.

In addition, Artemis featured an improved aerodynamic package and a newly developed, higher-performance Accumulator Management System (AMS). The decentralized LV architecture also allowed us to integrate additional sensors into the vehicle throughout the season and analyze their data using our newly implemented telemetry and data logging systems.

This transition towards a more data-driven development process enabled us to better understand vehicle behavior, optimize system performance, and improve reliability during testing and competition.

CAD Render, Wheel Assembly with team designed planetary gears

With our current vehicle project, Project Neon, we are taking the next major step in the team’s development. One of the biggest changes is the introduction of a completely new drivetrain concept using two wheel hub motors. This new setup frees up valuable space inside the chassis while also enabling improved vehicle control and power delivery through the use of two independently controlled motors.

In addition, we developed a completely new high-voltage accumulator concept featuring our first custom accumulator segment design. This allows us to use higher-performance cylindrical cells while improving cooling capability, reducing overall system weight, and achieving a significantly more compact accumulator package.

The redesign of both the drivetrain and accumulator system also enabled us to shorten the chassis and further optimize overall vehicle packaging. Alongside these major changes, many smaller and larger improvements were implemented across nearly all other vehicle subsystems as part of the continuous development of the car.

CAD Render, Project Neon Accumulator

For Project Neon, we are developing a completely new 600V accumulator system based on a 144s3p configuration using Molicel P45B cells. The accumulator is designed for peak power outputs exceeding 80 kW while maintaining high reliability, low weight, and efficient thermal management under racing conditions.

The accumulator consists of 8 individual segments, each equipped with a self-developed AMS slave board for cell voltage and temperature monitoring. These systems are safety-critical and play a key role in vehicle reliability and Formula Student compliance during testing and competition.

CAD render, Project Neon Accumulator Segment

Especially for the flexible PCBs used directly on our accumulator segments, PCBWay’s high manufacturing quality is extremely valuable for our development. These flex PCBs are mounted directly onto the accumulator segments and allow us to integrate voltage sensing and temperature measurement for the AMS without additional wiring harnesses inside the accumulator.

This significantly reduces weight and packaging complexity while also improving reliability and assembly efficiency of the accumulator system. The use of flexible PCBs directly on the accumulator segments also minimizes potential failure points caused by additional connectors and wiring.

In addition to the safety-critical PCBs for the AMS inside the accumulator, we also develop our own electronic systems and custom PCBs for many other vehicle functions, including the driver interface, sensor integration, ECU systems, telemetry, and power distribution systems.

Team working on Accumulator at FS Balkans 2025

As a student team working under tight deadlines and limited resources, dependable PCB manufacturing and fast iteration cycles are essential for successful vehicle development. PCBWay's support would help us accelerate testing, improve manufacturing quality, and provide our students with valuable hands-on experience in high-voltage electric vehicle technology and embedded systems development.

We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with PCBWay and continue pushing Project Neon to the next level together.