Description
We are Team Raftar, a 40-member interdisciplinary student team from IIT Madras, designing, building, and testing high-performance open-wheel electric vehicles from the ground up every year.
As we gear up for our biggest challenge yet, a fully autonomous EV, built right here in Chennai, we request your immediate support in fuelling the development of our custom High Voltage powertrain, battery electric and autonomous systems.
Over the past 13 years, we have risen to become India’s top Formula Student team, with:
- Three consecutive Formula Bharat championships – an unbeaten record.
- A world record for fuel efficiency at Formula Student Italy 2017.
- A rapid transition into EVs, securing 3rd place in our first electric season (2023).
- 2nd place at Formula Bharat 2025, along with:
- Best Battery Design (2 years in a row)
- Best Engineering Design (2 years in a row)
- Best Cost and Manufacturing
Our Achievements in EV Innovation
Our EV program already leads India in several technical benchmarks:
- Most Power-Dense Battery Pack: 2 kW/kg
- Most Energy-Dense Battery Pack: 200 Wh/kg
- Fast Charging: 0–100% in under 12 minutes (5C rate)
- India’s First Decoupled Suspension (patent granted)
- First Fully 3D-Printed Aluminium Wheel Assembly
What’s Next
We are now working towards our most ambitious goal yet — building India’s first fully autonomous electric racecar by 2027, targeting over 1400 Nm of torque at the wheels.
Currently under development:
- India’s most power-dense EV motor controller (20 kW/kg)
- Our first fully carbon-fiber monocoque chassis
- Software stack for autonomous navigation and dynamic control
Vision Beyond Racing
Our work aims to transform India’s EV ecosystem, not just motorsport. Our alumni have gone on to found:
- Ather Energy – Tarun Mehta, Swapnil Jain
- Exponent Energy – Arun Vinayak
We actively collaborate with industry leaders:
- MRF Tyres – Co-developed compounds for MRF ZTD Racing Tyres
- Daimler Trucks AG – Developed a 5 kW drivetrain testbench
- CoEZET (Ashok Leyland) – Designed steering and battery solutions for 3-wheelers
- NXP Semiconductors – Developed custom BMS for NMC batteries
Funding Goal
We seek ₹1 Crore (~$115,000) to support:
- Ongoing research in motor, battery, and autonomous systems
- Testing infrastructure and control system development
-Component logistics and international shipping
Why Support Us
Your support will:
- Advance world-class EV tech in India
- Enable hands-on student research at IIT Madras
- Elevate India’s standing in global engineering competitions
- Contribute to a more sustainable and self-reliant mobility sector
Get Involved
We invite alumni, industry partners, and mobility innovators to join us.
Team Raftar Formula Racing - Reshaping Autonomous EV Mobility
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