Editing Formula SAE (section)

==Concept==
[[Image:FSAE Design 2007.JPG|thumb|right|400px|The 2007 design finalist cars; from the left, [[University of Michigan - Ann Arbor]], [[Graz University of Technology|TU Graz]], [[University of Wisconsin - Madison]], and [[University of Kansas|Kansas]]. Absent is the [[Pennsylvania State University]]]]
The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a student design team to develop a small [[Formula racing|Formula-style]] [[race car]]. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. The target marketing group for the race car is the non-professional weekend [[autocross]] racer. Each student team designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules, whose purpose is both ensuring on-track safety (the cars are driven by the students themselves) and promoting clever problem solving. There are combustion and electric divisions of the competition, primarily only differing in their rules for powertrain. 

The prototype race car is judged in a number of different events. The points schedule for most Formula SAE events is:<ref>Bob Woods, ''1996 Formula SAE Rules'', (Warrendale, PA) : Educational Relations SAE International, in addition, winners were Chihuahua Institute of Technology´s students, from Mexico p. 4.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Static Events
|-
| Design Event || 150
|-
| Cost & Manufacturing Analysis Event || 100
|-
| Presentation Event || 75
|-
!colspan=2|Dynamic Events
|-
| Acceleration Event || 100
|-
| Skidpad Event || 75
|-
| Autocross Event || 125
|-
| Fuel Economy Event || 100
|-
| Endurance Event || 275
|-
|'''Total Points Possible'''||'''1,000'''
|-
|}

In addition to these events, various sponsors of the competition provide awards for superior design accomplishments. For example, best use of E-85 ethanol fuel, innovative use of electronics, recyclability, crash worthiness, analytical approach to design, and overall dynamic performance are some of the awards available. At the beginning of the competition, the vehicle is checked for rule compliance during the Technical Inspection. Its braking ability, rollover stability and noise levels are checked before the vehicle is allowed to compete in the dynamic events (Skidpad, Autocross, Acceleration, and Endurance).

Large companies, such as [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], and [[Chrysler Corporation|Chrysler]], can have staff interact with more than 1000 student engineers. Working in teams of anywhere between two and 30, these students have proven themselves to be capable of producing a functioning prototype vehicle.<ref>Dean Case, Student Talent, ''Racecar Engineering'', Vol. 5 No. 3 (England): p. 35</ref>

The volunteers for the design judging include some of the racing industry's most prominent engineers and consultants including the late [[Carroll Smith]], Bill Mitchell, Doug Milliken, Claude Rouelle, [[Jack Auld]], [[John LePlante]], [[Ron Tauranac]], and [[Bryan Kubala]].

Today, the competition has expanded and includes more than 12 events all over the world. For example, [[Formula Student]] is a similar SAE-sanctioned event in the UK, as well as [[Formula SAE Australasia]] (Formula SAE-A) taking place in [[Australia]]. The Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI) holds the [[Formula Student Germany]] competition at the [[Hockenheimring]].

In 2007, an offshoot called [[Formula Hybrid]] was inaugurated. It is similar to Formula SAE, except all cars must have gasoline-electric hybrid power plants. The competition takes place at the [[New Hampshire International Speedway]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070515131048/http://www.formula-hybrid.org/competition.html]

In 2010, the Formula Student Electric was inaugurated, which requires the students to build a fully electrically powered racing vehicle.

In 2017, the Formula Student Driverless was inaugurated.