Penn Electric Racing’s Comeback

When Penn Electric Racing‘s REV11 car completed the endurance event at this year’s Formula SAE Electric competition, many team members were in tears.

“The finish marked more than the end of a race,” says Arjun Sharma, Operations Lead at Penn Electric Racing (PER). “It was a visible reminder of how far Penn Electric Racing has come, and how much this achievement meant to everyone who has worked to bring the team to this point.”

Competing against 108 teams, Penn Electric Racing finished 15th overall while earning first place in the Business Presentation event, the GM Excellence in Technical Innovation Award and the Cummins Sustainable Power and Performance Excellence Award. The team also placed sixth in the Design Finals, which was the highest finish among Ivy League schools.

These awards represent their participation in both dynamic racing events and static events that evaluate engineering design, business strategy, manufacturing decisions, cost analysis and technical communication. 

Judges evaluated everything from the engineering decisions behind REV11 and the data supporting its design to PER’s innovative sponsorship strategy, sustainable engineering practices and operational systems. The results demonstrated that the team’s success went beyond building a fast race car, it reflected a program capable of combining innovation, technical rigor and long-term organizational excellence.

“The team’s success at this year’s competition highlights their incredible commitment to translating in-classroom learning to a real-world context,” says Ryan Hopely, Associate Director of Student Life and Penn Engineering’s Club & Organization advisor. “The breadth of awards and placements demonstrates the well-roundedness we seek to build in our Penn Engineers.”

Being on the racetrack is never a straightforward endeavor. However, when faced with technical challenges that tested their resilience as a team, students came together to diagnose problems, repair the car under pressure and return to the competition. 

And their hard work paid off. They completed the acceleration event for the first time since REV3 and finished the endurance event for the first time since REV5.

“What stands out most to me is not just the results, but how the team got there,” says Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering and Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics. “Solving immediate and stressful problems at a competition takes real resolve, and pushing through major technical setbacks in the final days speaks to the depth of commitment on this team.”

With the success of REV11 behind them, Penn Electric Racing is already looking ahead. The team has begun work on REV12, its next-generation race car, which will feature a four-wheel-drive architecture and build on the engineering innovation and teamwork that define the program.

Learn more about Penn Electric Racing here.