Go, Racers!
In early November, Xiangyang — when it should have been chilly — was bathed in warm sunshine. The Phase IV test track at the Dana Automotive Test Center, venue for the 2020 Formula Student China (FSC), was filled with the energy of student competitors: youthful vitality, focus, and passion.
Formula Student China (FSC) is a competition in which university students from automotive engineering or related fields design and build a race car. Over one year, each team designs and manufactures a small single-seat leisure racer with outstanding acceleration, braking, and handling, following the competition rules and race car manufacturing standards, and aims to complete all or some competition events.
This edition was held after China had achieved phased success in pandemic prevention and control. It was the only country to host a Formula Student event globally that year. The event combined electric, combustion, and driverless categories, with 101 teams and 2,172 students from across the country participating.
FSC is divided into two main parts: static inspection and dynamic events. Static inspection is particularly critical — only by passing the rigorous official static inspection can a team proceed to the dynamic events and pursue glory on the track. To ensure safety, the static inspection items vary by category but are uniformly strict and comprehensive. For electric vehicles, static inspection includes electrical safety inspection, accumulator container inspection, technical inspection, tilt test, rain test, brake test, etc., each containing many details. It is no exaggeration to say every competing car is put through a multitude of checks.
HIOKI was honored to take part in such an interesting and meaningful event. As a sponsor, HIOKI supported teams from ten universities: Tongji University, Jilin University, Tsinghua University, Beihang University, Beijing Institute of Technology, South China University of Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai), Chongqing University, Chang’an University, and Wuhan University of Technology.
A collection of university race cars
Beyond the warmth of the gesture, more importantly, we brought test instruments to the site. As a specialist in electrical measurement, HIOKI provided equipment essential for the electrical safety aspects of static inspection, including the indispensable digital multimeter DT4256, the insulation tester IR4056 for measuring insulation resistance, and the resistance meter RM3548 for checking grounding resistance of the race car, among others.
On-site technical support
During static inspection, accumulator container inspection and electrical safety inspection are crucial and challenging stages, where requirements for insulation and grounding are very stringent. In particular, grounding checks involve measuring the grounding resistance of more than a dozen components — the main hoop, frame, seat belt mounting points, accumulator container, radiator, etc. — with strict criteria. This is where HIOKI’s insulation tester IR4056 and resistance meter RM3548 played a vital role in pre-competition preparation, helping teams identify and resolve issues promptly. The accurate and reliable data from the instruments allowed teams to prepare thoroughly; most schools completed the electrical inspection swiftly, gaining more time to prepare for the subsequent dynamic events.
Showing their capabilities
HIOKI products
Throughout the week-long competition, although the official schedule ran from 9 am to 5 pm, you would always find students at the venue. Before dawn and late into the night, lights were on in the paddock and maintenance areas. That light represented more than just car repairs — it was love for racing, dedication to the competition, a spirit of struggle, a kind of faith.
Finally, congratulations to Tongji University, Jilin University, and Beijing Institute of Technology for winning the electric, combustion, and driverless championships respectively.
Champion team photos
On site, HIOKI shared the joy of passing inspection, the excitement of achieving good results, and also the disappointment of not passing tests, the regret of just missing out on completing the competition. No matter what, HIOKI believes all student competitors are outstanding — a striving wave, the hope for the future. Go, racers!
