FalconE Racing is a team of motivated undergraduates from the University of Moratuwa who came together to apply their knowledge and experience in designing, building, and racing Formula Student cars.
Formula Student is the world's most competitive student engineering competition, with participants from universities all over the world designing, building, and racing their own formula-type student race cars under a complex set of rules. The global automotive engineering community sees the competition as bridging the gap between academia and industry.
In 2017, nearly twenty students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering formed the team, dedicating their time and effort to developing Sri Lanka's first Formula Student electric car and participating in a Formula Student competition. In 2018, the team finished fourth out of 298 teams in the Formula Student Germany (FSG) registration quiz, earning a spot as a competition participant. After six batches and numerous challenges, they were able to successfully design, manufacture, and unveil Sri Lanka's first electric Formula Student car, the Falcon E1, in 2023. The car is rear-wheel-driven, with an 80 kW/107 hp brushless DC motor, powered by an 8kWh lithium-ion battery pack, weighs 267 kg, has a tubular spaceframe chassis, and a fiberglass body. The Falcon E1 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 140 km/h.
In 2023, they competed in the Formula Bharat Competition in the virtual category and won overall second place, as well as runners-up awards in the business plan presentation event and the concept resources management report event. The team competed in the Formula Bharat competition at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, from January 19 to January 2024. They finished 10th overall out of 39 teams, taking fourth place in the business plan presentation event, eighth in the engineering design event, and fifteenth in the cost and manufacturing event. Among all the teams, they were able to win the Best-Looking Car award for the Falcon E1's sleek design features and elegant finish.
None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the prestigious sponsors and the media partners of Team FalconE Racing. Their utmost support towards this project has made all the difference. Apart from that Team FalconE Racing would like to take this chance to thank everyone who have been supportive to University of Moratuwa throughout the project implementation. The team would also like to specially thank all the supporters who contributed to the crowdfunding initiative as well.
Team FalconE Racing's journey is more than just winning races; it is about inspiring the next generation of engineers and pushing the limits of what is possible in Sri Lanka. As the next step, the team plans to manufacture their second design, the Falcon E2, and compete in future Formula Student competitions such as IMechE Formula Student UK and Formula Student Germany. In addition, the team plans to launch the driverless formula student category, with the goal of competing in the first Formula Student Driverless competition in 2028. The team extends an invitation and warmly welcomes everyone who is willing to support the project any way they can.
