BCN eMotorsport Presents the CAT18x, a Vehicle Designed to Make Formula Student Dreams Come True Again

The goals of the BCN eMotorsport team  for the new season are clear. After successfully completing the electric battery “Endurance” test for the first time at FS Austria, achieving the fastest time in the “Autocross” speed test at FS Spain, and becoming the best Spanish team in the electric vehicle with driver (EV) category at FS Germany last season, the team now wants to go even further. “If with CAT17x we were the best in Spain, now with CAT18x we want to be the best in Europe,” says Izan Ballobar, the team’s Technology Director.

The CAT18x — the single-seater race car they will compete with this summer — weighs 20 kg less than its predecessor. This achievement was made possible through improvements to the structure, wheel assembly, and electronic system, resulting for the first time in a vehicle weighing under 200 kg.

In addition, the technical departments improved the aerodynamic package to mitigate the effects of new regulations introduced this year, which reduce the height of the rear wing. They also focused on enhancing the vehicle’s hardware and software to ensure the car can complete every event it enters, both in the EV category and in the driverless vehicle (DV) category, where automated vehicles operate autonomously without driver supervision.

For the second consecutive year, BCN eMotorsport has the support of Fractus, which, through the Fractus-UPC Deep Tech Hub, continues advising the team on improvements to the telemetry system of the electric vehicle. The goal of these improvements is always to achieve maximum reliability with minimal latency while implementing 5G connectivity within the system.

CAT18x details

This summer, the team will participate in three competitions: the renowned FS Czech Republic, from July 19 to 24; their home competition, FS Spain, from August 1 to 7; and FS Alpe Adria, where, in addition to competing, they are collaborating with the organization to introduce the driverless category. “It’s also a way to get a foot on the other side of the competition and learn how these events are organized” explains Sabrina Faieta, the team’s current team leader.

Coinciding with the vehicle presentation event, which took place on May 28 at the Vèrtex Auditorium (UPC North Diagonal Campus in Barcelona) and was packed to capacity, the BCN eMotorsport team also displayed several single-seater cars from previous seasons to showcase the project’s evolution over the years. “The CAT18x is the result of 54 people dedicating hours, effort, and commitment over the course of a year, but it is also the result of 19 generations who, over nearly two decades, have made this team what BCN eMotorsport is today” says Faieta.

The team enjoys strong support from the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering (ETSEIB) and the Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSETB), since the development of these vehicles forms part of the academic curriculum at both schools of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya -BarcelonaTech (UPC), which promotes initiatives that encourage students to apply their acquired knowledge to real-world projects and challenges.

Video of the presentation of the CAT18x, which will compete this summer on several European Formula Student 2026 circuits