Under this programme, About:Energy is sponsoring five Formula Student teams in the UK, including those from prestigious institutions such as Imperial College London and the University of Birmingham. The company will equip each team with state-of-the-art simulation tools and educational resources, which are crucial for advancing battery pack design. This support is expected to spur engineering innovation not only in motorsport battery development but also across the broader industry.

Formula Student, managed by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (iMechE), is one of Europe's most esteemed educational engineering contests. It leverages the excitement of motorsport to motivate students. Participants from around the globe engage in this competition, where they design, build, test, and race small-scale formula-style cars, traditionally powered by petrol engines or electric motors. However, in line with recent advancements in electric vehicle (EV) technology, an increasing number of teams are now transitioning to fully electric models.

About:Energy's involvement with Formula Student is more than just corporate sponsorship. The company has a deep-rooted connection with the competition, evidenced by several of its staff, including CEO Gavin White, being former participants. White himself led Queen's Formula Student team to a commendable fourth-place finish among UK teams in 2018. This personal and professional investment in Formula Student highlights About:Energy's commitment to nurturing the next generation of battery engineers.

Gavin White, CEO of About:Energy said: “Formula student is an incredible competition in which students get to apply skills learnt through school and university to a high-performance project. I thoroughly enjoyed my time leading the team at Queen’s in Belfast and it was there I learnt many of the professional skills which I now use every day as a founder/CEO. We are committed to giving back by providing the tools to enable the next generation of battery engineers.”

Battery simulation has significant value in accelerating electric drivetrain development for Formula Student teams, but initial adoption into development programmes is a barrier to entry that requires innovative lab facilities and months of battery testing.

Christian Pilling, Battery Simulation Engineer at About:Energy, who is leading the initiative said: “Drive to Recharge provides university students the same modelling tools that are at the disposal of the largest companies in the world. We are proud to provide Formula Student teams with a foundation for creating comprehensive battery pack models. This initiative enhances their engineering skills and tests their grasp of both theoretical and practical aspects. We look forward to supporting the team's achievements in competitions.”

Several Formula-Student Teams have gained value from the initiative already including Edinburgh, Oxford Brookes, Loughborough, Imperial, and Birmingham Universities.

Jacob Haseldine, Lead Engineer of the University of Birmingham's Formula Student team, UBRacing said: “About:Energy has helped us understand how cell voltage response affects performance, and how we can adjust our control strategy to mitigate the risks of  reaching voltage limits prematurely. The models enable us to accurately simulate battery behaviour, driving key design decisions for the team.”