The future is electric

Weingarten - In a festive atmosphere, the Formula Student Team Weingarten (FSTW) presented the new Stinger 23E on Friday, May 5, 2023. Under the team leadership of Sara Klink and Jonas Eckle, a racing car with electric drive was created for the second time in a row. This year also marked the 15th anniversary of FSTW. For 15 years, students at RWU have been planning, developing and constructing racing cars - from design and assembly to testing on the race track. Guests included friends and family, sponsors, the Friends of FSTW, as well as alumni and founding members. Dennis Causevic and Carine Vieweger led through the evening.

How it all began

On the occasion of the 15th anniversary, the event began with a look at the beginnings of the FSTW. It all started in 2008: Ten RWU students decided to found a Formula Student Team in Weingarten. After initial hurdles, the members were able to convince the university management of their intention. One year later, Formula Student Weingarten started its first race. Over the years, the team was able to inspire more and more students. Thus, the number of members grew from ten in the beginning to more than 70 in 2016. There were also many successes in the competition: "Klein Weingarten" catapulted to 23rd place in 2016 out of a total of over 500 participating teams worldwide.

The year 2017 represented a turning point. The Technische Werke Schussental (TWS) could be won as the main sponsor. Another new aspect was that, for the first time, a cooperation agreement was concluded for a period of three years. With the managing director of TWS, Dr. Andreas Thiel-Böhm, the switch from combustion engine to e-car within the next three years was agreed. "TWS stand for sustainable mobility, and we naturally wanted to promote that with our sponsorship," said Andreas Thiel-Böhm, adding, "Thank you for going down this road with us."

A well thought-out concept despite all the hurdles

After the review, the evening approached the unveiling of the new Stinger. Formula Student thanked everyone involved for their support. A big thank you also went to Professor Dr. Thomas Spägele, Rector of RWU. The latter congratulated the team for their commitment and ambition. "It is not a matter of course that we are allowed to sit here today," said the rector. Not at every university has Formula Student lasted the last few years. All the more, he said, it fills him with pride that Formula Student is presenting its second electric race car in a row today.

Afterwards, Professor Dr. Ralf Stetter was asked to take the stage. "Mr. Stetter, you were there for us from the very beginning and supported us wherever you could," said Dennis Causevic. Ralf Stetter emphasized the challenges of the last few years - the conversion-related move to the garage at Malereck, the Corona pandemic and, last but not least, the switch to electric drive. "The fact that such a well thought-out concept for an electric drive has emerged despite all these hurdles borders on a small miracle."

The new Stinger 23E

Like its predecessor, the Stinger 23E features a lightweight carbon fiber (CfK) chassis. The energy crisis and supply shortages made it difficult to obtain CfK to build the chassis. Finally, a plastic resin was obtained from a new supplier. The epoxy resin enabled additional weight to be saved. The team is particularly proud of the high build quality of the components. The new Stinger also features an improved aerodynamics concept. This has made it possible to further optimize downforce and aerodynamic drag, as well as increasing the stability of the components. Compared to last year, ten percent more downforce can thus be achieved with the same aerodynamic drag. "An important contribution to efficiency as well as to driving performance and dynamics," said Fabian Lindner, Subteam Leader Aerodynamics.

For the powertrain, FSTW again opted for a wheel hub engine concept. In addition, the cooling system for the more than 1,000 components was designed to be more maintenance-friendly. Two large control units were installed for more flexible data acquisition. This makes it possible to add or remove new sensors or control units at any time. In addition, a new live telemetry system allows vehicle data to be read out in real time. Another new feature is Driver Communication, which allows the driver and team to exchange information while driving.

With a lot of heart

Finally, Sara Klink and Jonas Eckle, who are leading the FSTW team, took the stage. "We have outdone ourselves this year," Jonas Eckle told his team members. Sara Klink added in regards to the former members, "Thank you for putting your heart and soul into this project for the last fifteen years."

With the Singer 23E, the FSTW will first start the event summer in Switzerland before heading to the Czech Republic and Croatia. At Tuning World Bodensee, the team can be found together with the Stinger Saison 2021.

Text: Vivian Missel