McGill Formula Electric

What McGill Formula Electric does

McGill Formula Electric is a student-run engineering design team at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, that designs, builds, and races 100% electric formula-style race cars for international Formula SAE Electric competitions. Founded in 1994 originally as the McGill Racing Team, the organization transitioned fully to electric vehicles, producing its first 100% electric race car (MFE 1.0) in 2014 and consolidating its combustion and electric programs via a 2017 merger. The team is composed of over 300 volunteer engineering students organized into specialized subsystems including Powertrain, Electronics, Mechanical, Vehicle Dynamics & Performance, Structures, Battery, Inverter, PCB, Controls, Suspension, and Driverless Software.

The team's core technology stack centers on high-voltage battery systems, custom in-house Battery Management Systems (BMS), a custom Master/Slave vehicle controller using CAN communication, four in-hub motors (introduced in MFE 21), torque vectoring, and a full carbon-fiber monocoque chassis with torsional stiffness of 1356-1399 Nm/deg. The team utilizes computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, and vehicle dynamics simulations, and has adopted additive manufacturing (AON3D Hylo with ULTEM 9085 material) for rapid iteration of high-voltage accumulator components. MFE 20 won the 2019 Formula SAE Electric Championship, set a North American 0-100 km/h acceleration record of 3.687 seconds, and the team has consistently placed among the top four at international competitions for multiple years.

The business model is non-commercial. The team generates no product or service revenue and is funded entirely through tiered corporate sponsorship (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) with sponsors receiving branding on the race car, website visibility, and exposure at competitions. Named sponsors include Bombardier, Stelia, Siemens, Magna, MDA, Altium, and AON3D. The team operates within McGill University's McGill Engineering Student Centre (MESC), receives facility access via the MacDonald Engineering Building, and serves two stakeholder groups: McGill engineering students seeking hands-on project experience, and corporate sponsors seeking talent branding and association with sustainable engineering innovation. The primary outputs are competition performance, engineering talent development, and sponsor marketing value, rather than commercialized products or services.

Name

McGill Formula Electric

Legal name

McGill Formula Electric

Website

https://mcgillformulaelectric.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

McGill Formula Electric is a student-run engineering design team at McGill University that designs, builds, and races 100% electric Formula SAE race cars. Funded entirely through tiered corporate sponsorships, it serves McGill engineering students and corporate sponsors via international competition participation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Formula Race Vehicles

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorsport Driver Training Schools & Racing Academies (MPAKAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Motorsports Support & Feeder Series (Developmental Championships) (MPAKAGAH)

Keywords

• Electric formula race car
• Student motorsport engineering
• Formula SAE electric
• Battery management system
• Composite vehicle chassis

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Revenue: The team operates entirely through corporate and individual sponsorship. Sponsors receive prominent visibility through branding on the race car, website inclusion, and exposure at international competitions. The team offers various sponsorship tiers (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) with corresponding benefits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McGill Formula Electric is a student-run engineering design team at McGill University that designs, builds, tests, and races a fully electric formula-style race car to compete in the Formula SAE Electric competition series. The team develops its own powertrain, battery management system, vehicle controls, and composite chassis, and offers tiered corporate sponsorship packages (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) in exchange for brand placement and recruiting visibility.

Product overview

McGill Formula Electric is a university engineering design team that designs, builds, and races 100% electric Formula SAE race cars. The team's portfolio consists of a series of electric race car models (MFE 1.0 through MFE 24) that have evolved over time, progressing from their first electric car in 2014 to their latest MFE 24 model. The product line includes early models (MFE 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0) built by the McGill EV sub-team, followed by post-merger models (MFE 19 onward) combining expertise from both the original McGill Racing Team (combustion) and McGill EV. Key innovations include four in-hub motors (MFE 21), carbon fiber monocoques, and their 2019 championship-winning MFE 20 which set a North American acceleration record. The team competes internationally at Formula SAE events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric formula race car (annual MFE competition vehicle)

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.687s 0-100km/h acceleration record at FSAE Electric 2019 (North American record)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered platinum, core and gold.

• AltiumplatinumTechnology or IntegrationPlatinum tier sponsor providing electronic design software tools for PCB design.
• AON3DcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvided AON3D Hylo 3D printer and ULTEM 9085 material for manufacturing battery cell and PCB holders for the high-voltage accumulator. This partnership enables rapid iteration and validation of components at lower cost than conventional methods.
• VectorNavgoldTechnology or IntegrationGold tier sponsor providing navigation and sensor technology.
• McGill UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome institution providing resources, facilities (MacDonald Engineering Building), and student access. The team is an official extracurricular design team of McGill University's Engineering faculty.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MIT Motorsports: MIT's Formula SAE Electric design team, one of the longest-standing US student engineering racing teams. Directly comparable in mission (design, build, race EV formula cars), elite engineering school sponsorship base, and international competition participation.
• Georgia Tech Formula Racing: Georgia Tech's Formula SAE Electric team, competing at Lincoln and Brooklyn events. Comparable as a top-tier US engineering school EV racing team with corporate sponsorship and international competition footprint.
• ETH Zurich AMZ Racing: ETH Zurich's student motorsport team competing in Formula Student (FSG) in Germany. Directly comparable as an elite European Formula SAE Electric competitor with strong sponsor base and advanced custom EV technology development.
• Cornell Formula Racing: Cornell University's Formula SAE team, one of the consistently top-ranked US teams. Comparable in scope, sponsorship structure, and engineering school ecosystem to McGill Formula Electric.
• University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team: Canadian university Formula SAE Electric team based at the University of Waterloo, competing in the same Formula SAE Electric competitions and Driverless events. Direct domestic peer given similar academic context, geographic competition calendar, and engineering talent pipeline.
• University of Michigan Formula SAE Team: University of Michigan's student-run motorsports program participating in Formula SAE Electric and combustion classes. Comparable in scale, sponsor base (including major automotive OEMs), and consistent top finishes in North American competition.
• University of Toronto Formula Racing: University of Toronto's Formula SAE Electric team, another Canadian peer competing in Formula SAE Electric and Formula North. Comparable as a domestic Canadian competitor with overlapping competition schedule and Canadian corporate sponsor ecosystem.
• Cal Poly Formula SAE: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's Formula SAE team, historically among the top-ranked US teams. Comparable in student-run EV design/build/race mission and competitive performance trajectory.
• Stanford Racing Team: Stanford's autonomous racing program competing in the Indy Autonomous Challenge and related driverless series. Comparable as an elite university engineering team with a strong focus on autonomy, mirroring McGill's emerging driverless push.
• Virginia Tech Motorsports: Virginia Tech's multi-disciplinary Formula SAE team (electric and combustion). Consistently top-ranked in Formula SAE Electric, comparable in student team size, sponsorship structure, and competition focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcgill-formula-electric-mfe
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcgillformulaelectric
• Xx.com/mcgillfsae

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McGill Formula Electric