Escudería Fénix Aims to Make Its Mark at Electratón 2025

Reporter: Adda Avendaño | Photographer: Enrique Lair

Victory in the Electratón goes to the team that covers the greatest distance with the highest energy efficiency.

The Escudería Fénix from the Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria en Ingeniería y Tecnologías Avanzadas (UPIITA) at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) transformed a thesis project into a competitive racing team that, in just six months, has already secured eighth place in Mexico’s premier electric car racing competition.

To compete, the team—comprising more than 14 members from the Automotive Systems Engineering program (ISISA) with a specialization in Safety and Comfort—designed and built a single-seater electric race car. The vehicle currently competes in the Racer category, a five-stage circuit organized by the Incubadora de Tecnología AC across different states in Mexico.

Founded by faculty member Blanca Briseño Tepepa, with Jesús Adalberto Méndez Piedras serving as the first team captain, Escudería Fénix divided the project into six subsystems: chassis, batteries and motor, suspension and steering, drivetrain, safety and comfort, and electronics. This approach allowed the students to use the project for curricular credit while developing a single-seater capable of one-hour races on circuits ranging from 400 to 800 meters, consuming up to 6 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy.

“The project started from scratch, beginning with the chassis, which serves as the foundation—the canvas on which the entire vehicle is built. Next was the drivetrain, followed by suspension and batteries. Electronics and brakes were the final systems, as their implementation depends on the integration of all other subsystems,” explained Méndez Piedras.

The team, including its sole female member, María Fernanda Ríos Ángeles, applied knowledge acquired at the Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica (ESIME) campuses Zacatenco, Azcapotzalco, and Culhuacán, as well as at UPIIT Tlaxcala, complemented by advanced technologies studied at UPIITA. They received guidance from engineer César Suárez Tapia, ISISA coordinator, and Dr. Briseño Tepepa, faculty lead of the racing team.

According to the students, Escudería Fénix has brought together multiple generations of ISISA students passionate about engineering. The team aims to serve as a platform for innovation, the development of electromobility, and teamwork, demonstrating that IPN produces engineering of the highest caliber.

Upcoming challenges for Escudería Fénix include races in Cuautla, Morelos, in August; Guadalajara, Jalisco, in September; and the grand finale in Monterrey, Nuevo León, in November. Good luck, Politécnicos!