SPARK-ing an EV Revolution

The SPARK Electric Racing Team at the University of Michigan is raising awareness about electric vehicles by designing, building, and racing competition-level motorcycles. Watch to see the team apply what they learned in a classroom to long-term, complicated projects. Learn more  .

Transcript

00:00:00 [music and motorcycle revving] >> [Announcer]: "...the classes here in Formula Lightning and Formula Lightning Extreme..And then David McPherson aboard University  of Michigan electric motorcycle." [On screen text]: A University of Michigan student team built an electric motorcycle and hired a professional rider. Now they race against professional motorcycles. >> Peter:  It's not for the faint of heart but it's for people who like a challenge. [On screen text]: The students traveled with their bike to South Carolina >> "Dude no swearing." >> "We're in Camden South Carolina. See ya see you at track."

00:00:55 >> "Peter do we need the charger?" >> "No." >> "All right." >> Leo: So today we unpacked our trailer, got the bike ready to go. We're just excited to be out here and racing and hopefully get a win today. Atlas is a 120 volt 800  amp motorcycle. It boasts top speeds of 150 miles an hour. It's got about 110 horsepower. We work with software, electrical mechanical, and we've got a business team as well. We're one of the few teams at the University that actually competes against manufacturers. So there are no colleges here today and what we do is we race against Honda,

00:01:36 Kawasaki, Ducati, and what it may be and we just are really pushed and driven to compete at a high level with those companies that have millions and millions of dollars to spend on it. >> Peter: Being on a team like this, it's incredibly invaluable. I'd say if you are an engineering student or any student at the University of Michigan for that matter, there's nothing more immersive than being on a team like this. >> Asha: Electric vehicles are like one of the fastest growing fields for software and then having the ability to say that I like  yeah no I was the one writing all this code I was the one doing all this work will make a huge difference. Being on this team has given me such a valuable part of what you need in order to get a job and excel in like a computer science field.

00:02:23 >> Peter: Just from my experience I've gotten exposed to technologies and research and parts and supply chains and like the whole world of developing a product from design to actually getting it built in real life. Something that's also incredible is working with sponsors you know having meetings with CEOs and VPs of companies, you know pleading your case for a sponsorship, working with really cutting-edge companies on developing stuff -- it's  incredible. It's personally how I got a job in my interview and I feel like it's how many others have and will. >> [Announcer]: "That is the Spark electric racing entry of the University of Michigan" >> Peter: Uh well we just got back from the first Spark race ever where we finished completely without any glitches. We turned some serious lap times and we're all ecstatic.

00:03:14 >> Asha: It went really well. I mean yeah man we got personal records on like almost every lap and there was no glitches with any of the software and like everyone's just really happy. [Clapping] [Dramatic music] "Okay. I got it. I'll just get out of the way. I'm gonna run you over." [On screen text]: The team will attempt to push the bike even further. [Motorcycles revving] >> Leo: Yeah so this morning we came here after winning last night and uh everything was in accordance to plan. The bike functioned  really well yesterday, we sorted all of the issues out. Went out for

00:04:21 the race. Was looking really good. He was getting some of his fastest lap times of the weekend. [Motorcycles racing by] >> Peter: We slide off the track. It honestly it doesn't look too bad. We're happy he's okay, um first thing. He's walking around. I can tell he's probably just more mad that he crashed it and he probably feels really bad for us. Honestly.. >> "I think he just feels bad." >> Peter: We don't want him to feel  bad. We're happy he's okay. The bike is looks... I mean it's not on fire so for an electric bike like that's okay. Um, spirits are high here he did turn to the fastest, uh fastest lap we've had all weekend today.

00:05:32 >> Leo: On the last turn, on lap three or four, uh the rear set, the foot peg dragged and caused the rear tire to give out and bike slid into the grass. David got up. Everything was good, but uh you know we're disappointed to see the crash. >> David: I just pitched it in and the peg hit the ground and when the peg hits the ground it picks the front wheel up off the ground and then you go by so I guess we figured out the limitations of the lean angle and we'll make some adjustments you know move my pegs up and farther and hopefully we won't have that issue anymore, but I guess you got to go past the limit to find out what the limit is and man I feel bad. >> Leo: We'll come out of this with a positive. We got a win yesterday and uh although we did

00:06:27 have a crash, the bike's good and we're looking forward to the next one. >> Manasvini: Now it has battle scars but it looks cool, it adds character to the bike. >> Leo: Right now the ceiling for battery technology and motors is unknown and we think it's much higher than where we are right now. All the jobs that these students apply to, they have the opportunity to show their work and show that they've worked on vehicles at a very high caliber and so we're doing things that very very few schools are doing and people just really like to see that. The team will be back and we'll be hungrier than ever. [Upbeat music]