Last Updated 3.19.2024
EVENT CAPTAINS: Emily Anthony, Rachel Rodgers
VENUE: Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI, USA
ON-SITE LOCATIONS: Cost Tent
Relevant Documents:
All relevant documentation can be found under the "Series Resources" section on fsaeonline.com.
- Formula SAE Rules
- Cost and Manufacturing Real Case Scenario
- FSAE Cost Rubric
- Cost Catalogs
- Additional Reference Documents (FSAE Cost Supplement, Cost Changelog, Add Cost Item Request, etc.)
Scope of Cost Experience:
Student teams must submit a report of their car’s cost to be evaluated by the cost judges. The concept of the cost event is to obtain an accurate estimate of cost of the car in a limited production. The report is in effect your cost proposal to the senior management of a company in electronic form to get them to invest in your product line. This is the goal of the cost report itself.
The focus of the cost event centers on the cost of the vehicle and the process of building the vehicle and the components contained therein. Cost report submissions should contain dimensioned drawings.
Additionally, teams will be responding to a challenge related to cost or manufacturing of the vehicle during the real case scenario discussion. Teams will be expected to present an idea that is realistic, thoroughly analyzed, and presented in an easy-to-understand presentation.
Cost Report (30 points)
Teams will submit a cost report detailing the cost of the entire vehicle.
- Score for the overall cost of the vehicle using the attached formula for this portion of the available 30 points.
NOTE: Pyour is the adjusted cost of your team’s car, Pmin is the adjusted cost of the lowest cost car in the competition by type, PMax is the adjusted cost of the highest cost car in the competition by type. Adjusted Cost is the reported cost + Cost Accuracy penalties.
If you are a new team or a team changing classification, your cost report submission will be due to judges using the same deadline as all teams. The cost report will be judged based on the cost of the car and completeness of the included parts on the cost report. The cost of the car is determined by the cost of the parts and fabrication using established manufacturing practices and the application of “Lean Manufacturing” principles. The report will follow the guidelines set forth in the published rules. The costs and penalties will then determine the cost score.
Event Day Discussion (30 Points)
Teams will be judged on cost accuracy (15 points) and engineering drawings (15 points) of two (2) out of the eight (8) vehicle systems. Teams must submit dimensioned drawings of the vehicle parts and systems. Best practice of any engineer would be to have engineering drawings when building a vehicle with dimensions included on the drawing.
Cost Scenario (40 points)
Participating teams will be judged onsite on the teams’ response to a pre-defined scenario challenge related to cost or manufacturing of the vehicle during the cost scenario discussion. Teams will have the opportunity to earn up to the remaining 40 points of the overall cost event score of 100.
Day of judging format for the cost scenario will be detailed in the Cost Scenario Description.
Total Cost Event Score
- Cost Report (30 points)
- Event Day Discussion (30 Points)
- Cost Scenario (40 points)
- For a total score of 100 points.
Cost event scoring may include normalizing the scores.
Submission Requirements
For the competition, student teams will submit two required submissions.
- Vehicle Cost Report (using online cost module on www.fsaeonline.com)
- Engineering Drawings (as attachments in online cost module Vehicle Cost Report on www.fsaeonline.com)
