"That students can carry out a project is good for attracting high school students as we already have at the URV"

What is URVOLTAGE RACING?

It is a team that was born to participate in the MotoStudent competition between universities around the world. Each team designs and builds an electric motorcycle with specific requirements. The competition was held in even years, we participated in the fifth edition in 2018 and the sixth was scheduled for October 2020. The pandemic has also been affected and therefore, was postponed 2 times. It was finally held in July.

I don’t know if we will do other things in the future but the origin is to participate in this competition. In addition, we were present on the last day of CETIT formalizing the sponsorship for our association.

PHOTO: The URVOLTAGE RACING URV team accompanied by the dean, Anton Escarré and the Secretary, Núria Llosas

When did this adventure begin?

In 2016 to participate in 2018. Any URV student can participate. Not just engineering, which are the majority profile, but also others even teachings that are not engineering. They are mostly engineering and basically industrial such as mechanics, electronics and electricity.

How do you promote yourself in college to attract team members?

The team apart from the design and construction of the motorcycle participates in fundraising actions in open days or in meetings with high school students. When students arrive they actually already know us and many of them are involved in the project. At the beginning of the course every 2 years we make a call and presentation and present the project to our students.

How many students make up the team?

Current team has a direct and continuous participation of 25 students, is a sufficient number.

What exactly do you do with the bike, design it and build it? There are parts we manufacture and others not for equipment and certification issues. Part of the motorcycle of the electronics is made in the workshop of the association and other things that are designed and the construction is external as more mechanical parts of chassis and tilting. Most teams hire this part. The design and calculation is by the team.

There are other items like wheels, tires and rims that are external.

How many bikes did you make?

We always make a new bike. So far we have built 2 brand new bikes. We try that between one edition and another there is no break but that the members of the next edition are formed by those of the previous team.

The bike is electric, how does it work?

It is a battery powered motorcycle. It has three basic elements: batteries, motor and in the middle an inverter element that translates or converts energy into direct voltage to alternating voltage. This device manages absolutely everything: accelerator, power consumption ... It is a part that is also designed and made by the team.

Did you compete this year?

Yes, it is a unique weekend that takes place at Motorland Aragón. This weekend there are 4 dynamic tests: acceleration, braking, gymkhana and final race. They are in a single weekend, in cars is a motorcycle season is a single test.

How was it?

We finished 23rd out of 46 participants in the middle of the classification. In this classification many things are weighed and calculated, there are also deliveries of different technical documents with scales of technical documentation. With a weighting of the different aspects they make the final classification.

What are the challenges for future editions?

  Improve in design. If we talk competitively it would be to make a better bike and have a better rating. In fact in the first edition we were 16th out of 25 and now 23rd out of 46. But academically the issue would be to continue the project to participate in the competition so that each student promotion can participate and generate that expectation or encourage students to implement knowledge and end up doing something real. Being able to do a project is as good for attracting high school students as it is for those we already have. The other is to engage with external institutions and companies which is very good for students and is a good business card.

Who forms the team at the teacher level?

José Luís Ramírez and I are two tutors

How does it work?

There is a team leader who has been Adrián Ballesteros and apart from that there are department heads. The team is divided into mechanical, electrical, electronic, management and communication. There is a head for each of these departments.

Our desire is to expand, for example, in addition to students in communication who help us with networks, videos and everything related to promotion. We also work in management and that is why we are also attracting ADE students to the campus. Bellissens.

Photographs: Xavier Milà - Lluis Guasch