Thanks from UPEI’s Baja Team
Students at the new School of Sustainable Design Engineering recently competed in an international, intercollegiate racing competition held in Rochester, New York. Each year, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), holds three competitions in North America, which are open for universities around the world to participate. The final competition this year saw nearly 100 teams compete from countries such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, India, Brazil, and Venezuela. This was UPEI’s first time competing in such an event.
The competition challenges students to design and build a mini Baja-style dune buggy to simulate a real-world engineering design team. Students develop a business and marketing plan, aiming to mass-produce these vehicles as a start-up company. The vehicle design and Dragon's Den-style business proposal are then presented to judges in sales and design presentations. The Baja vehicle then raced against other teams in multiple dynamic events, such as a 100-foot hill climb, acceleration, manoeuvrability, and suspension, as well as a final 4-hour endurance race to complete the competition.
“We would like to thank all of our sponsors who made travelling to and competing at this competition possible,” said Andrew Simmons on behalf of the UPEI Baja Team. “We were fortunate to receive overwhelming support from the entire community, including sponsors such as Princess Auto, City of Summerside, University of Prince Edward Island, and many other local businesses and individuals. We were pleased with our performance in our inaugural year, placing 84th overall, and we look forward to improving next year. As the University expands through the new School of Sustainable Design Engineering, competing at these international events provides us with opportunities to gain practical skills and valuable experience. We hope that through ongoing support from the community, we can grow Prince Edward Island's international reputation and promote its innovative and competitive engineering program.”
The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.
