Overcoming the Hurdles of Building an Electric Car

Building an electric car, especially for a competition like the Electric Vehicle Grand Prix (EVGP), is no small feat. For the Voltstar team, it’s been a journey filled with challenges and valuable learning experiences. From designing the car to sourcing parts and ensuring it meets performance standards, every step has required creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. But overcoming these hurdles has also been one of the most rewarding parts of the project.

1. Design Challenges: Balancing Performance and Efficiency

One of the first hurdles any team faces when building an electric car is deciding on the overall design. The goal is to create a car that performs well on the track, is efficient, and stays within the parameters of the competition’s rules. For the Voltstar team, this meant considering factors like aerodynamics, weight distribution, and safety features. Achieving the right balance was challenging, as each decision made in the design process affects the car’s speed, energy consumption, and stability.

2. Sourcing Parts: Finding the Right Components

Another major hurdle in building an electric car is sourcing the necessary components. High-quality batteries, motors, and controllers are essential for performance, but getting these parts at the right cost and with a reliable supply chain can be tricky. As a student-led team, Voltstar faced budget constraints that required creative solutions. Whether it was seeking sponsorships from local companies or repurposing components from other projects, finding the right parts and keeping costs down took careful planning and resourcefulness.

3. Technical Challenges: Integrating Complex Systems

Electric cars are made up of several complex systems that must work seamlessly together. From the powertrain and battery management system to the electronic controls and regenerative braking, every component must communicate and function efficiently. The Voltstar team faced several technical challenges while integrating these systems, such as ensuring the battery’s charge lasts throughout the race, optimizing motor performance, and troubleshooting issues with the car’s software. Each technical challenge was a learning opportunity, and every success felt like a major breakthrough.

4. Team Coordination: Working Together Toward a Common Goal

Building an electric car requires a well-coordinated team effort, with each member contributing their expertise and ideas. For the Voltstar team, this meant learning how to effectively communicate and collaborate on various aspects of the car's development. Whether it was design, engineering, testing, or marketing, everyone had to be on the same page. There were moments of tension when challenges seemed insurmountable, but the team’s dedication and collective problem-solving skills always pulled them through.

5. Time Management: Balancing School and the Project

As high school students, managing time effectively is one of the most significant hurdles we faced. Between schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments, it was difficult to find enough time to dedicate to the electric car project. However, the Voltstar team learned the importance of planning and prioritization. By breaking down tasks into manageable pieces, setting clear goals, and working efficiently, we’ve been able to make steady progress toward completing the car.

6. Testing and Refining: The Road to Perfection

Once the electric car was assembled, the real work began: testing. Testing is where theory meets practice, and we discovered a few unexpected issues along the way. Whether it was optimizing the car’s speed or improving the handling on the track, every round of testing revealed areas for improvement. With each challenge, we refined our design, recalibrated the systems, and pushed our car to the next level of performance. It’s a process of continuous improvement, where the car evolves based on feedback from real-world testing.

7. Overcoming Self-Doubt and Staying Motivated

Building an electric car from scratch can feel overwhelming at times, especially when faced with so many obstacles. There were moments when it felt like the challenges were insurmountable, but the Voltstar team never gave up. Our passion for electric vehicles, our desire to learn, and our commitment to the EVGP kept us motivated. Overcoming self-doubt and staying focused on the goal has been one of the most important lessons learned throughout this project.

Conclusion

The journey of building an electric car is filled with hurdles, but each challenge presents an opportunity to learn and grow. For the Voltstar team, the experience has been an invaluable one—one that has strengthened our teamwork, problem-solving abilities, and passion for innovation. As we continue preparing for the Electric Vehicle Grand Prix 2025, we know that the hurdles we’ve overcome will make us stronger and more prepared for the race ahead.

-Author

Jameel Ahmed