Chalmers Formula Student
Chalmers Formula Student is a student engineering project at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, that designs and races 4WD electric Formula Student cars with integrated driverless capability. Funded by ~50 corporate sponsors and serving ~70 multidisciplinary students annually, it competes across European Formula Student events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersGothenburg, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Chalmers Formula Student does
Chalmers Formula Student (CFS) is a student-led engineering project team at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, founded in 2002-2003. The team designs, manufactures, and races Formula Student vehicles in international competitions, building approximately 95% of each car in-house across mechanical design, aerodynamics, carbon fiber frame construction, suspension, high-voltage electronics, battery development, custom PCB design, in-house electric motor manufacturing, and a full autonomous driving software stack. The team operates with 70+ active student members representing 11 nationalities and 9 areas of study, and has produced 22 cars since inception — transitioning from combustion powertrains (2003-2014) to fully electric 4WD vehicles with in-hub motors (from 2019) and integrated driverless/autonomous capability (from 2022).
The team's current generation, Svea (2025), is a 4WD electric car with a GPU-less driverless system built around an Intel i9 compute platform and Ouster OS1-64 LiDAR for 3D environmental perception. CFS competes in both Electric Vehicle (EV) and Driverless categories at Formula Student events across Europe, with notable recent results including 1st place in the Driverless Cup at FS Germany 2025 and 2nd Overall Driverless at FS Czech Republic 2025. The team's technology portfolio demonstrates depth in electric powertrain, high-voltage systems, autonomous perception, and control software, though all capability is exercised solely within the Formula Student competition context.
The organization is not a commercial enterprise. It operates as an educational non-profit funded entirely through a tiered corporate sponsorship model (VIP, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Support) with approximately 50 supporting companies led by Volvo, Aros, Chalmers University of Technology, SKF, Höganäs, and Hexagon/Novatel. Chalmers University of Technology serves as the institutional parent and primary supporter, providing facilities, academic framework, and continuity. CFS has no disclosed revenue, no commercial pricing, and no equity structure — its "customers" are the engineering students it trains and the industry sponsors who gain brand exposure, talent pipeline access, and validation of their tools and materials.
Chalmers Formula Student firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chalmers Formula Student
- Legal name
- Chalmers Formula Student
- Website
- https://chalmersformulastudent.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chalmers Formula Student is a student engineering project at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, that designs and races 4WD electric Formula Student cars with integrated driverless capability. Funded by ~50 corporate sponsors and serving ~70 multidisciplinary students annually, it competes across European Formula Student events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chalmers Formula Student industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Formula Racing Vehicles
- NAICS
- Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Motorsports Teams (F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Rally, MotoGP, etc.) (MPAKABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Motorsport Driver Training Schools & Racing Academies (MPAKAJAJ), Motorsports Support & Feeder Series (Developmental Championships) (MPAKAGAH)
Keywords
Where Chalmers Formula Student is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gothenburg
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chalmers Formula Student business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Sponsorship and Support: Operates entirely through corporate sponsorships and institutional support from Chalmers University of Technology and industry partners who provide funding, tools, materials, and expertise
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Chalmers Formula Student product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chalmers Formula Student is a student engineering team at Chalmers University of Technology that designs, manufactures, and races Formula Student competition cars. The team develops approximately 95% of the car in-house, including electric motors, battery systems, PCBs, carbon fiber chassis, suspension, aerodynamics, and driverless autonomous software. They compete in international Formula Student events in the Electric Vehicle and Driverless categories.
Product overview
Chalmers Formula Student is a student-led engineering team that designs and manufactures Formula Student racing cars for international competition. The team develops approximately 95% of the car in-house, including aerodynamics, carbon fiber frames, suspension, mechanical powertrain, electronics and high voltage systems, battery development, custom PCBs, and driverless autonomous software. Their product portfolio includes a series of 4WD electric cars with driverless capability, most notably Svea (2025), Freja (2024), Margareta (2023), and Hilbert (2022), along with combustion and earlier electric vehicles spanning from 2003 to the present day. The team operates across multiple technical disciplines including mechanical design and manufacturing, electronics and high voltage systems, driverless/autonomous technology, aerodynamics, and software development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Svea The 2025 4WD electric Formula Student racing car with integrated driverless capability, featuring in-house developed electric motors, high voltage system, battery development, custom PCBs, and autonomous software. Won 1st Driverless Cup at FS Germany 2025 and 2nd Overall Driverless at FS Czech 2025.
- Freja The 2024 4WD driverless Formula Student electric car. Achieved 2nd place at FS Germany 2024 in EV Driverless class and 3rd at FS East 2024 in EV Driverless.
- Margareta The 2023 4WD Formula Student electric car with driverless capability. Won the Driverless Cup at FS Germany 2023.
- Hilbert The 2022 Formula Student electric car, Chalmers' first driverless car. Featured 4WD in-hub electric motors, Ouster OS1-64 LiDAR, and a GPU-less driverless computer using an Intel i9 processor. Achieved 10th at FS Austria (EV) and 7th at FS East (EV Driverless).
Companies that use Chalmers Formula Student
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chalmers Formula Student technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature7 records
Chalmers Formula Student partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered vip, silver and support.
- Chalmers University of TechnologyvipInstitutional host and VIP sponsor providing the primary support structure, facilities, and academic framework for the Formula Student project.
- AnsyssilverSilver tier sponsor providing engineering simulation software for analysis and design.
- RapidHarnesssupportSupporter providing wiring harness design software.
- KisssoftsupportSupporter providing gear design and analysis software.
- Chalmers Laboratory of Fluids and Thermal SciencesupportSupporter providing access to fluid dynamics and thermal testing facilities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chalmers Formula Student competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KTH Formula Student: Stockholm-based Swedish peer university Formula Student team; competes in the same European FS circuit, draws from the same Swedish talent and sponsor pool, and is the closest geographic analogue to CFS.
- MIT Motorsports (MIT): MIT's Formula SAE team, a North American university EV racing team comparable in engineering depth and university-industry sponsorship model, and a typical reference point for global top FS engineering.
- Formula Student Team Karlsruhe (Fast Forest): KIT (Karlsruhe) Formula Student team developing EV and autonomous race cars; comparable in-house depth and direct competition partner in EV and Driverless classes across European FS rounds.
- Politecnico di Milano (Polimove) Formula Student: Italian university Formula Student team with strong EV/driverless results; competes alongside CFS at FS Austria and FS East and operates a comparable in-house engineering model.
- ETH Zurich Academic Motorsports Zürich (AMZ): Swiss university Formula Student team developing electric and autonomous race cars, with deep in-house engineering across powertrain and autonomy — a leading FS team that CFS faces directly at FS Germany and FS Austria.
- TU Delft Formula Student Team: Student-run Formula Student team at TU Delft (Netherlands) competing in EV and Driverless categories at FS events across Europe; directly comparable to CFS in scope, sponsorship model and competition footprint.
- Team Bath Racing (University of Bath): University of Bath's Formula Student team, a long-standing UK-based EV competitor in the same Formula Student Europe circuit as CFS.
- TUW Racing (TU Munich): German Formula Student team at TU Munich, a perennial top performer in EV and Driverless categories including FS Germany; competes head-to-head with CFS at Hockenheimring events.
Others
- Chalmers University of Technology: Parent institution of CFS and primary VIP sponsor; shares brand, faculty, and facilities with the team and operates as the academic host for this engineering project.
- Formula Student Germany organizer (FSG): The organizing body of the Formula Student Germany competition at Hockenheimring, where CFS competes annually; an ecosystem counterpart rather than a direct racing competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chalmers Formula Student social profiles
Digital presenceChalmers Formula Student financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chalmers Formula Student leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Chalmers Formula Student funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chalmers Formula Student M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chalmers Formula Student
What does Chalmers Formula Student do?
Chalmers Formula Student is a student engineering team at Chalmers University of Technology that designs, manufactures, and races Formula Student competition cars. The team develops approximately 95% of the car in-house, including electric motors, battery systems, PCBs, carbon fiber chassis, suspension, aerodynamics, and driverless autonomous software. They compete in international Formula Student events in the Electric Vehicle and Driverless categories.
Is Chalmers Formula Student a public or private company?
Chalmers Formula Student is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Chalmers Formula Student founded?
Chalmers Formula Student was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chalmers Formula Student based?
Chalmers Formula Student is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Chalmers Formula Student make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship and Support.
Who are Chalmers Formula Student's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KTH Formula Student, MIT Motorsports (MIT), Formula Student Team Karlsruhe (Fast Forest), Politecnico di Milano (Polimove) Formula Student, ETH Zurich Academic Motorsports Zürich (AMZ), TU Delft Formula Student Team, Team Bath Racing (University of Bath) and TUW Racing (TU Munich). Others are Chalmers University of Technology and Formula Student Germany organizer (FSG).
Does Chalmers Formula Student have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chalmers Formula Student.
What industry is Chalmers Formula Student in?
Chalmers Formula Student's product category is Formula Racing Vehicles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKABAB, Motorsports Teams (F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Rally, MotoGP, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAKAJAJ, Motorsport Driver Training Schools & Racing Academies. Its NAICS code is 33992.