Two cars designed and built by students from Michigan State University’s College of Engineering are being showcased at this year’s North American International Auto Show.
Leonidas, MSU's solar-powered car, will make its first appearance at NAIAS this year, while the MSU Formula Racing Team will have an exhibit for the eighth year in a row.
The annual auto show runs from Jan. 12-25 in the Detroit Cobo Center.
The MSU Solar Car Team is a student-run organization dedicated to advancing research in solar-powered vehicles. The team’s corporate sponsor is Saturn Electronics, one of the world’s top manufacturers of solar technology.
“Participating at the NAIAS is of great significance,” said Ali ElSeddik, a College of Engineering student and Solar Car Team project manager. “It gives us a platform to showcase the team’s most innovative designs and cutting-edge technology advancements within the renewable energy and automotive fields.”
ElSeddik said Saturn Electronics has been donating all the printed circuit boards for the solar team’s latest car.
Composed of undergraduate and graduate students at MSU, the MSU Solar Team gives its members hands-on multidisciplinary experiences in the engineering, business and management fields.
For more information, visit www.msusolar.com.
MSU’s Formula Racing Team will once again display SR14, the innovative racer they designed and built in 2014.
Nicholas Decker, College of Engineering and project manager for the Formula Racing Team, said this year’s car will be featured alongside cars from five or six other teams from universities around the state.
“This is a great experience for student engineers, who get the real-world exposure they need to better understand the industry,” Decker said. “We learn time management, teamwork, design, and so many other skills by being on the Formula Racing team.”
MSU’s Formula Racing Team is made up of about 25 primarily undergraduate students from across the university. Throughout the year they engage in a “design, build, race” project cycle that includes designing a vehicle, procuring and fabricating parts, building a prototype and vehicle testing.
For more information on the Formula Racing Team, visit www.msuformularacing.com.