Starting with an idea that takes shape on paper every September, ELBFLORACE gradually builds a race car that combines top-level engineering, in-house manufacturing, and team spirit. For 20 years, the Formula Student team at Dresden University of Technology has stood for a passion for engineering, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the commitment to get a little better every year.
In collaboration with BECHEM, the result is far more than just an autonomous electric vehicle for the Formula Student design competition: it’s a story of precision, performance, and the mobility of tomorrow. The EFR18ed06 project gave rise to ElliE—ELBFLORACE’s new electric and autonomous race car.
It doesn’t start with screeching tires. It doesn’t start with the starting signal at an international racetrack. And it doesn’t start with a trophy in the evening sun at Hockenheim, either. It starts much earlier: with an idea.
Every September, ELBFLORACE gets underway once again. Among other things, the team discusses lightweight construction concepts, aerodynamic principles, chassis ideas, and design models for sensor systems used in autonomous driving. Initial ideas gradually evolve into a comprehensive technical concept. What emerges here is not yet a race car. It is an idea on its way to becoming reality—a vision that is gradually transforming into a competitive vehicle.
The process follows a clear sequence: planning and development, manufacturing, assembly and commissioning, initial test run, and testing phase. From October through December, initial concepts are transformed into detailed CAD models and technical drawings. Every component is carefully considered, tested, and refined. After the new year, production begins—the moment when theory suddenly becomes a reality. It is precisely at this crucial juncture between development and production that BECHEM stands firmly by the team’s side—as a partner for lubrication, metalworking, friction, efficiency, and reliable manufacturing.
At ELBFLORACE, an astonishing amount of work is done in-house, with a great deal of passion, hard work, and ambition. The team manufactures structural components—such as the chassis and aerodynamic package—itself using heavy-duty materials like carbon fiber and aramid. Even the wiring harness is produced in-house, and the students assemble the circuit boards themselves. Not because it’s the easiest way, but because for many highly specialized applications, there simply isn’t a suitable off-the-shelf solution. That is precisely the spirit of Formula Student: not assembling off-the-shelf parts, but instead developing and testing them yourself. Not buying in, but understanding. More than just building: making it better.
The complexity of ElliE is evident in the combination of mechanics, electronics, aerodynamics, and software. With approximately 400 meters of cable, over 30 sensors, and 24 circuit boards, the vehicle is a highly integrated mechatronic system.
ELBFLORACE is a student group at TU Dresden that participates annually in Formula Student, the world’s largest engineering competition for students. To that end, the team has been building its own race cars since 2006 with a great deal of passion, hard work, and ambition.
For the 2026 season, the participants have developed an electric, autonomous race car to once again compete successfully in the global Electric and Driverless categories. BECHEM is a partner and supports the project with expertise and metalworking fluids for the manufacturing process.
Manufacturing and assembly are followed by commissioning. Before ElliE undergoes its first full vehicle test, an important integration step must be completed: the so-called “Car on the Table.” During this process, the electrical system is first tested outside the vehicle before the wiring harness is installed inside it. Only when all systems are working reliably together can the digital and mechanical concept be transformed into a car ready to drive.
On May 17, 2026, the big day finally arrived. Late in the evening, ElliE was pushed out from behind the hangar—at a time when the day could have long since been over for many. But for this moment, countless team members gathered once again. They wanted to be there when months of focused work—countless ideas, calculations, manufacturing steps, and decisions—came together for the first time to form a moving car. ElliE successfully completed its first electric drive. But that wasn’t all: Just 23 minutes later, it made its first autonomous, driverless test drive. A new club record—and an emotional moment that made it clear that the mechanical, electrical, sensor, and software systems work together as a cohesive whole. After that, the phase begins where every detail counts: intensive testing, targeted optimizations, and fine-tuning under time pressure. Because it’s only on the track that it becomes clear just how well development, manufacturing, and tuning really work together.
The stage for this is a big one. In 2026, ELBFLORACE qualified to compete in Formula Student Austria, Formula Student Czech Republic, and Formula Student Germany at the Hockenheimring. There, more than 100 teams from around the world will compete in disciplines such as drag races and circuit racing.
Formula Student has long been more than just motorsports. The vehicles are not only driven but also defended. In the Engineering Design Report, where a panel of experts critically evaluates technical decisions and where manufacturing and innovation also play a key role; in the Cost Report, where manufacturing processes and emissions are assessed; and in the Business Plan Pitch, where a fictional business model is developed based on a single vehicle component. So, to succeed here, you need not only a fast car but also technical depth, business acumen, and a manufacturing process that works flawlessly.
This is precisely where our collaboration with BECHEM really shines. Through sponsorship and our technical partnership with ELBFLORACE, we support young engineers in developing an electric, autonomous race car while simultaneously contributing our tribological expertise to a highly innovative environment. Through technical analyses, tribological consulting, and the supply of high-performance cooling lubricants, BECHEM supports the team in an area where precision, reliability, and process safety are of essential importance.
A key focus of the collaboration is the machining of aluminum components on a DMG milling machine. This is where our water-miscible coolant BECHEM Avantin 524 comes into play—a latest-generation coolant developed specifically for machining aluminum alloys. This coolant really demonstrates its strengths—particularly with high-strength alloys such as aluminum 7075—through excellent cooling performance, reliable corrosion protection, and clean machining results, all while ensuring good tool life. With our products, we support internal manufacturing processes, ensure quality, and increase production efficiency. It is precisely in situations where many individual work steps must mesh together precisely that it becomes clear just how crucial perfectly tailored lubricant solutions are for reliable machining.
In addition to supplying cooling lubricants, we also support the team with other operating fluids for the machines, including bedway oil, hydraulic oil, and greases for lubricating the guides and mechanical components of the machine tools.
This partnership is also reflected in the powertrain. Another key component of the collaboration is the tribological analysis of the planetary gear sets used in the race car’s in-wheel motors. The team is currently working with a standard gear oil. The goal of this joint effort is to improve the efficiency of the planetary gearbox through tribological testing and the selection of suitable lubricants. The focus is on both the friction and wear behavior of the gear teeth and the optimal selection of lubricants in order to reduce efficiency losses and further enhance the race car’s performance.
In addition to supplying cooling lubricants, we also support the team with other operating fluids for the machines, including bedway oil, hydraulic oil, and greases for lubricating the guides and mechanical components of the machine tools.
This partnership is also reflected in the powertrain. Another key component of the collaboration is the tribological analysis of the planetary gear sets used in the race car’s in-wheel motors. The team is currently working with a standard gear oil. The goal of this joint effort is to improve the efficiency of the planetary gearbox through tribological testing and the selection of suitable lubricants. The focus is on both the friction and wear behavior of the gear teeth and the optimal selection of lubricants in order to reduce efficiency losses and further enhance the race car’s performance.
A look at the international stage also shows that ELBFLORACE is excelling in this field. In 2026, the team ranked 20th in the world and 5th internationally in the Electric-and-Driverless category for autonomous vehicles. But the project’s true strength goes far beyond rankings. ELBFLORACE is a team where young talent thrives. A platform for personal and professional development. A space for interdisciplinary collaboration, responsibility, and building an international network. Those who work here not only learn how a race car is built, but also how innovation works in real life: as part of a team, under pressure, with clear goals, and the drive to turn ideas into impact.
We were particularly impressed by the ELBFLORACE team on a personal level: a dynamic and dedicated group of young volunteers who pour their hearts and souls into working on their race car. This dedication, their passion for technology, and their team spirit reflect exactly the values that also play a major role in our industry.
For BECHEM, that is precisely the essence of this partnership. As one of Germany’s longest-established lubricant manufacturers, we are proud to support such young and motivated talents—both with lubricants and through sponsorship—and thereby contribute to their dedication and passion for Formula Student. This collaboration is a true win-win situation for both sides: The racing team benefits from our tribological expertise and our lubricants, while we gain valuable insights from a highly dynamic and technically demanding field of application.
Here, theory and practice come together in a way that makes the future a tangible reality. This partnership demonstrates how technical expertise, precision manufacturing, and a shared passion give rise to solutions that extend far beyond the present moment. We are very excited about the launch of this partnership and look forward with great optimism to a shared future with the ELBFLORACE racing team.
The mobility of tomorrow doesn’t start on the road. It starts where people today have the courage to build it. At ELBFLORACE. With ElliE.