NTHU Racing Team Debuts Lightweight Carbon Fiber Racecar to Compete in Europe
2025.06.13
The NTHU Racing Team's lightweight THX is ready to compete in Europe.
On June 13, the NTHU Racing Team at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan announced the completion of its tenth generation Formula Student racecar. Dubbed THX, the car has a custom-made carbon fiber unibody, which is 40 kg lighter than the previous generation, and uses tires specially developed in cooperation with Maxxis. In August, the team will travel to Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Germany to participate in Formula Student competitions in the unmanned electric vehicle division.
The standout feature of the new car is its lightweight design, which significantly increases its speed. Deputy team captain Shu-Wei Shen (沈書煒) said that the THX uses a carbon fiber unibody instead of an aluminum body, reducing its weight by 7 kg. She added that its 10-inch carbon fiber wheel system decreases its weight by another 18 kg. In addition, the THX has a smaller motor developed by the mechanical engineering team, bringing the car's total weight down from 260 kg to 220 kg.
Chief technology officer Hao-Ming Teng (鄧皓銘) said that the carbon fiber body took two years to design and fabricate. The resin-impregnated fabric was stacked layer by layer and then cured four times at high temperature and high pressure---a precision process in which every step must be error-free.
Teng pointed out that the vehicle control system has also been upgraded. The dynamics team used research data and simulations to optimize the steering, torque distribution, and anti-skid system, allowing drivers to maintain stable control and improve lap times on various tracks.
Driver and member of the dynamics team Hsin-Hua Yang (楊昕華), said that the control system can be fine-tuned to suit track conditions, making the overall performance more stable. It was by virtue of this precision control system that the team's original-weight THX won first place in the figure-8 (47.89 meters) category in last year's Formula Student Taiwan, making a single lap in 4.6 seconds, setting a new team record.
Yang also shed his own weight from 66 kg to 63 kg to match the car's lightweight design. His goal is to reach 62 or 61 kg before the competition in August.
The new THX is equipped with 10-inch tires specially developed by Maxxis for Formula Student race cars. During the development process, the team worked with Maxxis in making adjustments in areas such as the speed at which the tires become hot and the working space.
The NTHU Racing Team was established in 2015 and went electric in 2018, creating Taiwan's first electric, four-wheel drive, driverless race car. It has previously won second place in the Japanese Formula Student electric group and in 2022 it became the first team from Taiwan to participate in a European competition.
In 2022, the team won 3rd place in the electric car figure-eight category and 5th place overall at the Croatian Formula Student competition. It also took 5th place in the endurance race and 18th overall at Formula Student Germany. In 2023, the team won 2nd place in the figure-eight category for unmanned vehicles at Formula Student Czech Republic. This year, the team is aiming to win the unmanned time trial and various endurance events at Formula Student Germany.
The team, which currently has 70 members from departments such as Power Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Economics, is under the expert guidance of professors Chao-An Lin (林昭安) and Pei-Jen Wang (王培仁).
Team captain Jui-En Li (李芮恩) said that over the past ten years the NTHU Racing Team has become like a small company with staff working in different key areas, including design, fabrication, electromechanics, fundraising, and marketing.
Formula Student competitions are organized by Formula SAE, which encourages college students to independently design, manufacture, and market race cars. More than a thousand university teams from around the world have participated in the competition.
The NTHU Racing Team has been generously supported over the years by Argosy Technology, Fittech, and the E. Sun Culture and Education Foundation. Overseas shipping costs have been covered by Mei Ta Europe. Additional sponsors include Maxxis, Shengli International, Chroma Electronics, TEI Composites, and Swancor Holdings.
THX uses tires specially developed in cooperation with Maxxis.
Driver Hsin-Hua Yang (楊昕華) also shed weight to match the car's lightweight design.
Deputy team captain Shu-Wei Shen (沈書煒) presenting THX's new features.
Thanks to its carbon-fiber body and other weight-saving features, the car's total weight has been reduced from 260 kg to 220 kg.
Driver Hsin-Hua Yang (楊昕華) carrying out a speed test.
The NTHU Racing Team members carrying out a speed test.
The NTHU Racing Team's lightweight THX is ready to compete in Europe. From left to right: Shu-Wei Shen (沈書煒), team captain Jui-En Li (李芮恩), chief technology officer Hao-Ming Teng (鄧皓銘), and driver Hsin-Hua Yang (楊昕華).
The NTHU Racing Team's lightweight THX is ready to compete in Europe. Shu-Wei Shen (沈書煒, left) and Jui-En Li (李芮恩).
The THX's total weight is now just 220 kg. Hao-Ming Teng (鄧皓銘, left) and Hsin-Hua Yang (楊昕華) discussing the design.
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