What is Baja SAE?
Baja SAE is a competition series organized buy the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) for engineering students to simulate real-world engineering design projects. Each year, teams are tasked with designing, constructing, and testing a single-seat off-road vehicle in preparation for several dynamic and static competition events. Teams use a standardized single-cylinder engine, emphasizing vehicle design rather than engine power. Students are also responsible for planning and managing all business-related elements of the project.
Competition
Static Events
The static events of a competition include the technical inspection, business presentation, and design judging. In tech inspection, vehicles are examined to ensure complete adherence to the rules and safety requirements before being allowed to participate in the other events. Teams must also create a sales presentation as if they are competing for a contract to produce 4000 units of the vehicle for varying purposes, which are shared with “executives” that provide a score to each presentation.
Dynamic Events
The dynamic events are where most of the fun lies with events like the acceleration test, hill climb, maneuverability test, and endurance race. Events like the acceleration test and hill climb serve to test specific parts of the car. The endurance race occurs on the final day of the competition, which pits all of the teams against each other in a four-hour wheel-to-wheel race. Points are awarded to each team based on time or distance, which are combined with the points earned in the static events.