Monday, November 7, 2022

SAE BC: Student Night Showcase and Competition

On November 21st at 6:00 pm PST, SAE BC will be hosting SAE student teams at the UBC Vancouver campus and online via Webex. Sign-up now at register.saebritishcolumbia.org!

After 2 years of online-only meetings, we are pleased to announce we will be hosting our first in-person event since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. SAE student teams from UBC, SFU, UVIC as well as BCIT will present their projects and compete for SAE BC sponsorship prizes. Please consider coming out to see interesting technical projects, speak to the next generation of automotive engineers, and search for potential new hires!

UBC Formula

As many of you may know the Society of Automotive Engineers puts on yearly collegiate competitions to challenge and train students for their professional careers. In BC, a variety of vehicles are designed by approximately 10 teams across 5 educational institutions. The 2020 and 2021 SAE seasons were unusual for student teams in BC with all teams suspending in-person work on their vehicles and moving to an online competition model. The main struggles associated with online operations included keeping members engaged in their work and attending weekly meetings. At the beginning of the 2022 season, hopes were high that teams would once again be returning to competing in person however a few of the team leads realized the challenges of building vehicles after an 18-month break. 2 classes of students have graduated during the pandemic causing teams to lose lots of hands-on knowledge. The ongoing pandemic also created further hurdles such as border shutdowns, school closures and various safety protocols. Even with these obstacles, however, many teams were able to assemble their vehicles on time and attend competitions! 

UBC Supermileage

For teams who attended, competitions were generally a lot of fun. In the paddock, students had a chance to present their designs, chat with other teams, network with industry professionals and even interview for work positions! On the track, things rarely went as planned and many repairs & alterations had to be done with various levels of success. Overall the events were great learning experiences which inspired many to continue their education and get more involved. Following an eventful competition season, students are eager to compete again and are hard at work building their 2023 machines. They would like to share their experiences and future plans with the rest of the BC SAE community on November 21st during this year's student night. They hope to see you there!


UVic Formula