TUfast Racing Team: Winning Races with Supercomputing

At three computer workstations, students are intensely calculating. Some are optimizing the 3D model of a rear wing, others are discussing battery data, and the sketch of a race car chassis can also be seen on one of the monitors. Welcome to the TUfast Racing Team: on the gallery level of the Mechanical Engineering building at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), students have been tinkering with an electric race car since September. “Every autumn, a new TUfast Racing team forms, some students leave after the racing season, others join,” says Julius Nasch, who studies automotive engineering and, together with two technical directors, manages the racing crew this year. He coordinates various working groups responsible for designing and developing parts or the motor, building the body, conducting tests on model xb026, planning project financing, approaching sponsors, and organizing the racing events starting in the summer. Nasch ensures that schedules are met, costs stay under control, and he steps in wherever help is needed. “Right now, around 100 people are working on developing and building our car.” As the racing season approaches in May and runs through late August, the workload increases. Presentations, business plans, and marketing materials must be created, along with repairs, further vehicle optimization, and additional test drives.