Superior Engineering concludes historic season with 3rd place in Poland

The University of Ljubljana’s Superior Engineering student team, in which students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering also play an important role, concluded its historic 2026 competition season with another outstanding achievement. With its electric race car Triglav, the team secured 3rd place overall in the electric vehicle category at Formula Student Poland, reaching the overall podium for the second time this year.

Formula Student Poland 2026 took place from 25 to 29 August at the Autodrom Słomczyn circuit in Poland. It was the fourth and final international competition of the year for Superior Engineering, following appearances in the Czech Republic, Spain and Croatia.

Four third-place finishes and another overall podium

Superior Engineering achieved excellent results in both dynamic and static events in Poland, once again demonstrating that Formula Student is about much more than the speed of the race car.

The team secured 3rd place in Cost and Manufacturing, where manufacturing processes, costs and understanding of race car production are assessed, as well as 3rd place in the Engineering Design Report, where judges closely evaluate the engineering solutions and development of the vehicle.

The team was equally successful on the track. In Endurance, the most demanding dynamic event, it finished 3rd, and it also took 3rd place in Autocross. Triglav finished 5th in Acceleration, while the team placed 12th in the Skidpad handling event.

This series of excellent results ultimately secured Superior Engineering 3rd place overall in the electric vehicle category and another overall podium finish in the 2026 season.

Formula Student is far more than a competition based solely on speed. Through static and dynamic events, teams must demonstrate the technical sophistication of their race car, the quality of their engineering solutions, their understanding of costs and manufacturing, business thinking and, above all, the reliability of the vehicle under real track conditions.

From retirement in Croatia to 3rd place in Poland

The result in Endurance holds particular significance for Superior Engineering.

Just a few days before travelling to Poland, the team had suffered major disappointment in the same event at Formula Student Alpe Adria in Croatia. Triglav was forced to stop during the endurance test due to a mechanical problem involving a fluid leak, preventing the team from finishing the race. The retirement cost the team a significant number of points and the opportunity to achieve a better overall result.

The students had only a few days before the next competition to analyse the problem, carry out repairs and prepare the race car. In Poland, they responded in the best possible way. Triglav successfully completed the demanding Endurance event and finished 3rd in the final standings.

The successful performance provided another important confirmation of the improvements in the race car’s reliability, which had been one of the central objectives of this year’s generation.

A historic season of four international competitions

Poland rounded off an exceptional competition summer in which the new generation of Triglav competed at four major international events, demonstrating its speed, efficiency and increasing reliability.

The first major success came at the beginning of August at Formula Student Spain at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Superior Engineering achieved one of the greatest results in its history, securing 2nd place overall in the electric vehicle category. Triglav finished second in Acceleration, third in Skidpad and Endurance, and third in energy efficiency.

The team also competed in the Czech Republic this season, where Triglav was unable to finish the race due to technical difficulties. Such challenges are also an important part of Formula Student competitions, providing teams with valuable data and experience for further development and improving vehicle reliability.

This was followed by Formula Student Alpe Adria at the Bugatti Rimac test track in Mičevec near Zagreb. There, Triglav particularly impressed in Acceleration, winning the event with a time of 3.288 seconds. At the time, this was the second-fastest Acceleration time recorded by an electric Formula Student car worldwide during the 2026 season. The team also performed exceptionally well in Autocross, finishing 4th despite technical difficulties.

Two overall podium finishes, victory in Acceleration in Croatia, and a series of top-three finishes in both dynamic and static events rounded off a historic season for Superior Engineering and Triglav.

The new generation of electric race car lived up to expectations

Triglav is the latest generation of Superior Engineering’s electric race car, unveiled by the team at Ljubljana Castle in June. Its development focused primarily on reducing weight, increasing reliability and improving driving dynamics.

Compared with its predecessor, Triglav is approximately 30 kilograms, or more than 15 percent, lighter. Key improvements include a new battery, a lighter carbon-fibre chassis, and enhanced aerodynamics and suspension.

The race car accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in approximately 2.4 seconds and achieves lateral acceleration of up to 2.5 g in corners. Alongside performance, energy efficiency is also an important feature. Triglav uses regenerative braking, in which the electric motors convert part of the vehicle’s kinetic energy during braking back into electrical energy and return it to the battery.

70 team members and approximately 50,000 hours of work

This year’s race car is the result of several months of work by approximately 70 team members, who invested around 50,000 hours in its development.

Superior Engineering is one of the largest interdisciplinary student projects at the University of Ljubljana, involving more than 70 students. Students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering UL make up an important part of the team, contributing primarily to the development of the electric powertrain, battery system, measurement systems, control systems, software and data analysis.

The 2026 season has therefore become an important milestone in the history of Superior Engineering. Across three major international competitions, Triglav demonstrated exceptional speed and increasing reliability, while the team concluded the season with the best possible message: with success in Endurance and another overall podium finish.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana sincerely congratulates the Superior Engineering team on an outstanding season and on securing 3rd place at Formula Student Poland!