Interview with partner DHBW Engineering

Reading time: 7 min

Success through teamwork and innovation

Interview with our cooperation partner DHBW Engineering

The world of motorsport is dynamic and constantly changing. At the centre of this upheaval is the student association of the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Stuttgart. The team has been taking part in various Formula Student events since 2009, and since 2012 they have been focussing on promising electric drives. In this blog post, we have the opportunity to talk to Vincent Thiele, Head of Statics and Marketing, about their successes, structure, collaborations and the future.

Vincent, could you briefly introduce our readers to who you are and what makes your team special?

Of course, of course! We are a dedicated student association of the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Stuttgart. Our team is made up of almost 120 students from the Business, Engineering and Social Sciences faculties. Our mission is to construct an electrically powered racing car in less than 12 months and take part in the Formula Student Electric and, since 2021, the Driverless competitions. We are proud that our team has steadily improved in recent years and has even achieved the most successful results in the club’s history over the past two seasons.

These are impressive successes! Could you tell us more about your achievements in the 2022 | 2023 season?

Absolutely! Our team’s hard work really paid off. Last season we were able to achieve 4th place overall at FSN in Assen and even 3rd place overall at FSG in Hockenheim. The year before that was even better, with 1st place at FSN, 3rd at FSA and an amazing 2nd place at the Hockenheimring. This was of course an enormous incentive for us to continue striving for top performance.

Your team has a complex structure with many members. Can you tell us more about it?

Yes, of course. Our team consists of around 120 members and is divided into two project managers (technical and organisational) and 10 sub-teams, each with its own team leader. Coordination and task allocation can sometimes be a real challenge due to the voluntary commitment and limited working hours, but we have developed mechanisms to manage this successfully.

Do you remember how the cooperation with us came about? What benefits did you derive from it?

To be honest, I can’t tell you exactly how it came about. The foundations were laid in the previous season. I was told that they wanted to support us and then we met to plan the partnership and the trade fair stand. The trade fair appearance at the IAA was a great success. It not only attracted a lot of attention in terms of PR, but also provided us with valuable networking opportunities. We made lots of new contacts and were invited to other trade fairs, which is fantastic for our team and our partners.

What does the future hold for your team?

Our design freeze will take place at the end of January and then the production phase will begin. All parts for our eSleek24 will be manufactured and assembled by the end of April. We are particularly focussing on monocoque production. At the same time, we are looking for the last missing manufacturing partners. After the rollout in May, we will start the testing phase to prepare our eSleek24 for the planned events between July and August.

Finally, what would you like to tell our readers?

Our success story shows that teamwork, innovation and cooperation are crucial to our success in Formula Student. Looking to the future, we are well equipped to continue conquering the racetracks and revolutionising the world of motorsport. We look forward to the exciting projects and challenges that lie ahead. Stay tuned!

Thank you very much for the interview, Vincent, and good luck for the challenges ahead!