Students unveil the Umicore Isaac

On Thursday, 30 June the Umicore Isaac electric car was proudly displayed for the first time at the City Theatre in Leuven, Belgium.

Innovative engineers

Developed by Formula Electric Belgium – 37 engineering students from the University of Leuven – the Umicore Isaac was designed to compete in Formula Student races. Part of the Innovative Entrepreneurship for Engineers postgraduate programme, the team is sponsored by Powered by Umicore, which supports clean mobility projects by engineering students.

Extreme performance

Designed and built in less than nine months, Umicore Isaac incorporates several innovative technologies to achieve the extreme performance it needs on the track. Two electric motors with a total output of 160 hp drive the rear wheels. For a vehicle weighing only 205 kg that is a lot of power. It can accelerate the car to 100 km/h in just 2.7 seconds. Every kilo counts: to make the vehicle as light as possible the chassis was made of high-tech carbon fibre. The monocoque (one piece) design eliminated the need for glue or extra reinforcement, saving an additional 10% of weight.

Fast and smart

The car is not just fast. It is also smart. The two motors can be controlled independently to optimise performance. The students calculate this will gain two seconds per lap. The suspension is dynamically controlled with millisecond precision for improved contact between tire and road surface. And on the track the vehicle continuously transmits performance data to the students in the pit.

Start your engines

What’s next for Umicore Isaac? During the summer the car will compete in Formula Student races in England, Germany and Spain. Formula Electric Belgium will be the only Belgian team in a field of six hundred participating universities. You can follow the their progress on the Powered by Umicore Facebook page.