BAJA SAE Powertrain

Background

Baja SAE is a national colligate competition where teams compete to build and race an off-roading race vehicle. In this project the team is tasked to design, build, and test the powertrain subsystem of the 2025 Baja SAE vehicle. The powertrain subsystem must be capable of AWD by delivering power to all 4 wheels, as well as being lightweight and robust enough to make Anteater Racing a feared competitor. The proposed powertrain design features a fully custom transfer case, outputting to a driveshaft and front differential. Designs must adhere to all rules listed in the Baja SAE rulebook, while maintaining critical safety factors to prevent failures operating in extreme off-road conditions. The vehicle must be built and tested prior to the Arizona competition in May 2025. The team has competed and improved the past 2 years, and hopes to continue the upward trend by scoring top 20 out of the 100 teams registered for competition.

Goals and Objectives

Design a lightweight, compact, and durable powertrain system that transfers power from the engine to all four wheels
Reduce weight by 30% compared to prior year's powertrain system design
Provide sufficient torque to wheels to complete all competition events with high placement
Successfully integrate powertrain with other subsystems such as the chassis and suspension
Perform testing to verify powertrain design and performance before the Baja SAE competition in May 2025

Project Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/anteaterbajaracing/

Team Contact

Nathan Martinez - nathaem1@uci.edu

Sponsor/Advisor

J. Michael McCarthy - jmmccart@uci.edu

Project status:

Active

Department:

MAE

Term:

Fall