... - 2011
Formula Group T is a spin-out of the CQS Group T Racing Team that designed and built two alternative drivetrains between 2009 and 2011.
The team was founded in September 2009 and began ‘from scratch’ with the development of an electric and hybrid race car. Both cars were based on a Citroën 2CV, an icon in the European automotive history. The electric vehicle is called Odyssee. Its front wheels are driven by a switched reluctance motor (SRM). It was the first time a car was equipped with this kind of motor. Lithium iron phosphate batteries deliver the power. The hybrid car, Pegasus, contains the original 2CV engine, adapted with an injection system to run on bio-ethanol (E85). Additional power is unleashed when an extra electric motor in the back is activated. The Kinetic Energy Recovery system provides the car with an optimal drive.
Pegasus participated twice (2010, 2011) in the 24h02’CV race at Spa-Francorchamps where 2CV based cars compete in a 24 hours endurance race. By participating in the race, the team wanted to create awareness in the society for a greener future. This year, Pegasus finished second in the experimental class with the help of one of the best Belgian pilots, Bert Longin.
Besides the engineering and racing, the team served his sponsors with a lot of visibility. An overview of the attended events:
- 89th edition of the auto show in Brussels (January 2011)
- 5th Automotive Congress (Eindhoven, The Netherlands)
- Car Free Sunday in Leuven
- Cleanweek2020
- Ghent Bio-energy forum
- Watt Roadshow
- Own press event at Zolder
- 3 network events at GROUP T, Leuven
- Open day at CQS
- Open company day
- 3 TV-shows on Rob-TV
- Flax demonstration 2011
- UNIZO price for our entrepreneurial skills as students
- 4000 EUR for the thesis about the electric drivetrain in Odyssee
- Poster on 5th Strategic Energy Forum
2011 - 2012
Formula Group T started its career with the development of Areion, the first Formula Student car of Formula Group T. The information and knowledge of the CQS Group T Racing Team was transferred in such a way to achieve an improved and optimized system for a Formula Student car.
The sixteen students that started Formula Group T choose to compete in the Formula Student events because it is Europe’s best-settled educative student competition. In this competition teams from all over the world take part to compete with each other through their single seat racecars. Formula Group T started with this project in August 2011. By June 2012, only nine months later, they had a successful car demonstration. Areion drove its first meters under the watchful eye of 270 spectators.
During the summer the team competed at three formula students events. First they competed at Silverstone, United Kingdom, the biggest event for students in the world. Afterwards they went to Hockenheim, Germany where the best teams come together. The last competition was at the circuit of Varano de’ Melegari, Italy.
Formula Group T impressed a lot of spectators and colleagues during their first Formula Student events. They entered the world ranking on the 27th place out of 63 and became the youngest, but also best Belgian team. An overview of the results of the competitions can be found below.
Results in Silverstone
- Winner Airbus Teamwork Award
- Winner Craig Dawson Most Valuable Team member Award (Koen Huybrechts)
- 11th place for cost and sustainability analysis (2th for the electric cars)
- 25th place in the design event
- 52nd place overall
Results in Hockenheim
- Finalist Best E-drive Packaging Award
- 7th place acceleration
- 8th place endurance
- 8th place energy efficiency
- 11th place overall
Results in Varano De’ Melegari
- 2th place acceleration
- 8th place design evenement
- 9th place business plan presentation
- 11th place overall
2012 - 2013
In 2012-2013 Formula Group T accepts the challenge again to build a brand new car and take part in the competition once more in the summer of 2013. This new car was called Eve. A number of new goals were defined in order to get a better and faster car. Formula Group T keeps investing in new and durable technologies by strong cooperation with their partners.
