EVolocity Competition Rules
EVolocity Competition Rules
Revision: G
1 Table of Contents
1 Table of Contents 2
2 Enquiries 2
3 Acronyms 3
4 Rules 4
4.1 General Rules 4
4.2 Vehicle Rules 6
4.3 Class Rules 13
4.3.1 Energy Monitors and Power Limiting 14
5 Race Day and Inspection 16
6 Competition Events 17
6.1 Racing Events 17
6.2 Static Events 24
6.3 Special Awards 25
6.4 Competition Awards and Trophies 26
7 National Competition 27
7.1 National Events 27
7.2 National Awards and Trophies 28
7.3 National Leaderboard 28
8 Appendix 1: ECU installation guide 29
9 Revision History 33
2 Enquiries
For any enquiries about this document or technical queries about your vehicle build, please
use the enquiry form on the website, which can be found here, or by emailing
[email protected].
General questions about EVolocity, event dates and support can be sent to the local regional
coordinator, whose contact details can be found on the website here.
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3 Acronyms
DQ Disqualification Vehicle is not allowed to start/finish the
event.
RAMS Risk Analysis Management System Health and safety documentation used by
NZ schools to manage risks.
STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, Term used to group together the distinct but
and Math related technical disciplines of science
WOF Warrant of Fitness The checklist that all vehicles must pass in
order to race at an EVolocity competition.
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4 Rules
EVolocity is a New Zealand school based engineering education programme that facilitates
students to design, build, and race single seat electric go-karts and bikes. It exists to provide
a platform for students to gain hands-on engineering experience whilst promoting STEM in a
supportive, exciting and competitive environment.
EVolocity hosts several regional competitions at the end of each year. This is a celebration of
the years’ hard work and is the place where teams can put their vehicle to the test,
competing against other teams.
On the track, the EVolocity competition tests the vehicles’ speed, agility, reliability and
energy efficiency in a series of events on a race track. Off the track, the students’
understanding of the design, build and testing process are tested in the static events.
GR.3.2 Students must be New Zealand primary, intermediate or high school aged.
GR.5.1 All participants must act in accordance with good sporting principles in the
spirit of fair competition.
GR.5.3 All officials, participants, parents, mentors, and spectators are expected to
treat each other with kindness and respect.
GR.6.1 EVolocity reserves the right to change the rules as necessary. Rules enquiries
or disputes can be submitted to EVolocity, see Section 2 Enquiries.
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GR.7.1 Vehicles made for the EVolocity competitions must not be used on public
roads, cycleways or footpaths.
GR.7.2 Schools, teams, and participants who are found to have operated their
vehicles in an irresponsible manner may be banned from participating in
EVolocity events.
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VR.1.1 All vehicles, regardless of class, must comply with all vehicle rules.
VR.1.2 Majority of the design and construction must be done by the team.
Commercially available vehicles without significant modifications are not
allowed.
VR.1.3 Vehicles that have competed in EVolocity previously must have at least one
major subsystem redesign since its last EVolocity competition season. Teams
should inquire with EVolocity if unsure.
VR.1.4 Vehicles with three or more wheels are considered to be a “Kart”. The Kart
Class rules therefore apply.
VR.1.5 Vehicles with two or less wheels are considered to be a “Bike”. The Bike
Class rules therefore apply.
VR.2.1 The chassis must be robust and be constructed using suitable materials and
joining techniques.
VR.2.2 The cockpit should be free of sharp edges and protrusions. Teams may be
requested to round or pad edges and protrusions during scrutineering, and
should bring the required material with them.
VR.3.0 Chassis
VR.3.2 Appropriate barriers must be in place to prevent feet or lower limbs escaping
and coming into contact with wheels, or going under the vehicle.
VR.3.3 The vehicle must have a seat that is firmly fixed to the chassis. The seat must
be designed such that the driver will remain in contact with it whilst driving.
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VR.4.1 A roll hoop, or similar protection (see VR.4.2), must be installed to protect the
driver in a roll-over situation. An example of a well-designed safety cell
including roll hoops is shown in Figure 1.
VR.4.2 Approval must be obtained from the EVolocity technical team before the
construction and installation of any form of roll-over protection that replaces
the roll hoop (“or similar protection” in VR.4.1).
VR.4.3 The roll hoop must be sufficiently sturdy to withstand impacts and roll-overs
while protecting the driver.
4.3.1. Materials used should be strong enough to allow the roll hoop to retain
its shape in a collision. Preferably it will be one piece of metal tubing
with sufficient size, thickness, and material strength. Generally, wood,
plastic, and composite materials will not be accepted.
4.3.2. The roll hoop must be attached with sufficient materials and
techniques to hold it in place during a collision.
4.3.3. Bracing and triangulation must be used to reinforce the roll hoop from
force in every direction. See Figure 1 for an example that shows
bracing and triangulation.
VR.4.4 The roll hoop must be taller than the drivers’ helmet, such that there is 50 mm
of space between the top of the drivers’ helmet and the ground in a rollover
event.
VR.4.5 A head restraint must be placed behind the driver’s helmet to prevent
whiplash during impact and support the driver’s head during a collision.
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VR.5.2 Tyres must not be excessively worn (no canvas showing) and be inflated to
an adequate pressure.
VR.5.3 Wheels/rims must be in good condition (no cracks or bends) and strong
enough for the task.
VR.6.0 Steering
VR.6.1 Fasteners used in critical parts of the steering system must use Nyloc nuts,
standard lock nuts, or an equivalent anti-loosening nut.
VR.6.2 Steering systems must provide adequate stability and control of the vehicle at
racing speeds.
VR.6.3 Steering systems must be safe for the task, and have minimal play in joints.
VR.7.0 Brakes
VR.7.1 The vehicle must have an effective braking system that will prevent it from
being pushed from a standstill with the brakes applied.
VR.7.2 The brakes must be operable without compromising vehicle control. For
example, brakes that require the driver to take their hands off the vehicle
steering are not allowed.
VR.8.0 Drivetrain
VR.8.2 The drivetrain must be adequately guarded to prevent fingers, hair and
clothing of the driver, or anyone working on the vehicle, from becoming
trapped.
VR.9.0 Stability
VR.9.1 Vehicles should demonstrate sufficient stability. This means that the vehicle
should not start to tip at any combination of speed and steering angle. For
example, stability is affected by the centre of gravity, wheel track, wheelbase
and steering.
VR.9.2 Vehicles may be disqualified after passing scrutineering if they are found to
be unstable or inherently unsafe on track (see Black Flag rules in RE.7.3).
VR.10.1 A fuse must be located along the positive lead no further than 200mm from
the battery.
Standard class vehicles with lead acid batteries should be fused per CR.2.4.
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The fuse size can be rounded up to the nearest integer fuse size that can be
purchased. An example fuse/holder for Standard Class is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Example fuse and holder suitable for the EVolocity Standard Class.
VR.10.3 A kill switch must be placed after the fuse. Switches must have a DC rating
that is greater than or equal to the fuse size. The DC voltage and current
rating must be clearly printed on the switch, must be appropriate for the
continuous DC voltage and current of the vehicle, and must be inspectable by
scrutineers on race day. Figure 3 shows an example of a suitable kill switch.
VR.10.4 All cables and connectors must be sized such that they can handle a DC
current that is greater than or equal to the fuse size. Table 1 can be used for
reference - if the desired fuse size is not stated here and it is unclear what
size cable to use, EVolocity can help.
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The wires that are attached to the standard class motors provided by
EVolocity are acceptable.
Table 1: Minimum cable sizes that should be used for a given fuse size.
VR.10.5 Cables must be routed away from moving parts and be secured to the
chassis with cable/zip ties, tape or similar.
VR.10.6 Batteries must be secured such that it is not possible for them to fall out if the
vehicle is flipped.
VR.10.7 Energy monitor: the required connectors to install the competition energy
monitor must be installed - see Section RE.5.2 Energy Monitors for details.
VR.10.8 A basic single line diagram of the electrical system, showing the minimum
required components is shown in Figure 4. The connectors for the energy
monitor may have positive and negative leads in the same connector; they
are shown separately in the diagram for simplicity.
VR.11.1 Lead-acid batteries can be used. This battery type is recommended for teams
that are new to EVolocity.
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The complexity associated with using lithium batteries is a considerable step-up compared to
lead-acid. This is because lithium batteries are at an increased risk of causing a fire and
must be handled appropriately.
VR.12.1 Vehicles containing lithium batteries must comply with all of these rules -
others may skip this section.
VR.12.3 Chemistry
a. The maximum voltage difference between the highest and lowest voltage
cells in a pack must not exceed 100 mV (0.1 V) after charging/balancing. This
is referred to as the balance threshold.
c. It must not be possible to over-discharge the cells. Vehicles must have either
an indicator light to tell the driver that the batteries are low, or have the BMS
cut power automatically. If there is only an indicator light, the driver must stop
the vehicle immediately if it turns on.
Table 2 shows the per-cell voltage restrictions for lithium batteries. Teams
must be able to demonstrate that these levels will not be exceeded.
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b. Vehicles must be able to monitor the temperature of the cells during use.
VR.13.1 Race numbers are required on the front and sides of the vehicle.
VR.13.2 Race numbers must be at least 200 x 150 mm in size, clear and legible from
15 m away.
VR.14.0 Driver
VR.14.1 The driver must wear a full face helmet, sturdy footwear and gloves. They
must also wear either a helmet visor, goggles, or safety glasses. Long
sleeved clothing or overalls must also be worn; there can be no bare skin
exposed.
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CR.1.1 Vehicles are placed in a class according to the maximum continuous power
draw of the motor controller as shown in Table 3. Vehicles must also comply
with the class voltage limits.
Table 3: Power and voltage limits allowed for each vehicle class.
Standard 350 W 30 V
Open 2000 W 60 V
CR.1.2 Power drawn from the battery must not exceed the class power limit as
defined in 4.3.1 Energy Monitors and Power Limiting.
CR.1.3 All wiring, components, kill switch and fuse must be appropriately rated for the
continuous voltage and currents.
CR.1.4 The maximum battery voltage refers to the fully charged voltage of the pack.
CR.1.5 All vehicles must have an energy monitor installed to race at the competitions.
CR.2.1 The battery, motor, and motor controller must all be supplied by EVolocity.
CR.2.3 Teams that received Standard Class kits not supplied with a battery (i.e. the
in-hub Standard Class kits, pre-2022) are allowed to supply their own
lead-acid battery.
CR.2.4 The wiring diagram for the Standard Class kits is shown in Figure 5. The
connectors for the energy monitor may have positive and negative leads in
the same connector; they are shown separately in the diagram for simplicity.
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Figure 5: Wiring diagram for the Standard Class kits (not showing signal wiring).
CR.3.1 Teams must supply their own battery, motor, and motor controller.
CR.3.2 The location of the fuse, kill switch and energy monitor connectors shall be as
shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6: Example wiring diagram for the Open Class (not showing signal wiring).
Each energy monitor has a buzzer to let the driver know that they are
exceeding the power limit for their class.
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Warning Power > 2 kW < 1 second No Buzzer will beep as soon as the
power draw is more than the
class limit.
Penalty Power < 2 kW > 1 second Yes Buzzer will sound constantly if
power is greater than the class
limit for more than 1 second.
CR.3.5 If the buzzer is ignored, a time penalty shall be applied to the Endurance
score.
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IN.1.1 All vehicles must be inspected for rules compliance before being allowed to
power on or compete at EVolocity events.
IN.1.2 Inspections will be according to the most recent version of the rules that have
been issued.
IN.1.3 Inspections must be performed on the day of the competition or event the
vehicle is entered in.
IN.2.1 Vehicles will be inspected to ensure compliance with the vehicle and class
rules.
IN.3.0 Re-inspections
IN.3.1 A vehicle that does not pass the inspection initially can be re-inspected as
required on the day, subject to the availability of scrutineers.
IN.3.2 Inspections outside the booked time-slot on the event day will be at the
discretion of the Chief Scrutineer when there is a scrutineer available.
IN.5.1 EVolocity Officials have the authority to make the final decision on any rule
interpretation or judgement on the safety of a vehicle. Teams should send
enquiries to EVolocity prior to the race day if unsure about meeting any rules.
IN.6.0 Charging
IN.7.1 On race day, vehicles are not to be powered or driven while in the pits.
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6 Competition Events
The end-of-year competition consists of both racing (dynamic) and non-racing (static)
events. These events allow teams to earn points that contribute to their overall competition
placing. Table 5 shows the maximum total points that can be awarded at a competition.
Winning an event will result in maximum points being awarded.
Table 5: The maximum number of points that can be awarded in the racing and static
competition events.
The following sections describe the rules and procedures for the racing and static
competition events.
The maximum amount of points for a given racing event is received by achieving first place.
Table 6 shows the maximum points that can be awarded for each of the competition racing
events.
Table 6: The maximum number of points that can be awarded in each racing event.
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The Drag Race is a straight line test of the vehicle's acceleration and deceleration.
RE.2.2 Scoring
b. The timer starts on the “go” signal/sound and stops when the vehicle’s front
axle crosses the finish line.
c. The vehicle must come to a complete stop before the end of the deceleration
zone (stop limit).
h. If the event location has enough space, some events may allow two karts to
race at once. However, only the time recorded for the run impacts the score.
Attempts must be completed within one minute of the start signal. Teams
exceeding this time will receive a DNF result and no points.
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RE.3.0 Gymkhana
The gymkhana is a test of the vehicle's agility and manoeuvrability through a slalom
course.
b. From the start position, complete the slalom and circle the 40m cone, then
slalom back to the 0m cone.
RE.3.2 Scoring
b. Five second penalty added to the total time for each cone hit.
Vehicles must complete the attempt within five minutes of the start signal.
Teams that exceed this time will receive a DNF result and no points.
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RE.4.0 Endurance
The Endurance event tests the overall speed, agility and reliability of the vehicle over
a circuit course. Other than a driver change, there are no special tasks in this race.
a. The race will consist of several laps around a circuit course similar to the one
shown in Figure 9.
b. Vehicles will start in a grid formation if possible (venue dependant). The grid
should order faster vehicles at the front to slower vehicles at the rear. The
ordering is to the satisfaction of the Race Coordinator.
c. The total course length will be 2-3.5 km, with a target racing duration of
approximately 15 minutes. The image below is an example only, tracks will
vary from region to region.
b. Marshalls will be present and the flag system detailed in RE.7.0 applies.
a. At least one driver swap must take place during the race.
For teams with a single member, a fake driver swap must be held by the
driver stopping, getting out of the vehicle, waiting five seconds and then
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RE.4.4 Scoring
a. The team that completes the set number of laps in the fastest time will score
maximum points in Endurance.
There is a 25 minute time limit. Teams that do not complete the set number of
laps within this time will receive a DNF and no points will be awarded for
either Endurance or Efficiency. The duration may have variations of ±5
minutes depending on the venue/course.
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RE.5.0 Efficiency
The Efficiency event tests the energy efficiency of a vehicle. The event is run in
parallel with the Endurance event by installing an energy monitor on the vehicle and
measuring the amount of energy each vehicle uses to complete Endurance.
RE.5.1 Scoring
a. Maximum points for this event is awarded to the vehicle that consumes the
least amount of energy during the Endurance event.
b. Entering the ‘Penalty Zone’ of the power limiter (see Section 4.3.1 Energy
Monitors and Power Limiting) incurs a 5-second penalty, with an additional
5-second penalty for each second in the Power Limiter’s Penalty Zone.
b. Teams that race without an energy monitor, either by choice or otherwise, will
receive zero points for Efficiency.
c. An example of the data that the energy monitor will record is shown in
Figure 10 (recorded at the 2022 Taranaki Regional Finals). In this example,
the final energy value was 24.97Wh.
Figure 10: Example data recorded on a Standard Class vehicle during the Endurance event.
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RE.6.1 If there is enough time at the end of a competition day, a free drive may be
allowed.
RE.6.2 The Free Drive is on the Endurance event track and does not count for any
competition points or awards.
RE.6.3 This time is for teams to share driving and safely have fun driving their
vehicles.
RE.6.4 The Free Drive is not guaranteed to happen at all events if there is not
sufficient time at the end of the day. This decision will be made by the Event
Coordinator on the day.
RE.6.5 Marshalls will be present and the flag system will apply.
RE.7.1 Circuit driving events (Endurance and Free Drive) will use a flag system to
give signals to drivers. All drivers must remember the meaning of each flag.
RE.7.2 Flags will be carried by marshalls that are spread out over the course.
a. Blue: tells a driver that there is a faster vehicle behind that should be let
through. The front vehicle must pull over and slow down to allow faster
vehicles to pass.
b. Yellow: there is a hazard on or near the track (for example when a vehicle
has stopped, or a minor collision). Vehicles must slow to a walking speed.
c. Red: the entire race has been stopped (in the case of a serious incident).
d. Black: the vehicle being pointed to must retire from the race and go to the
pits ASAP. This may be due to disqualification or a mechanical issue.
e. Chequered: signals that the vehicle has successfully finished the race.
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Table 7: The maximum number of points that can be awarded in the Static Events.
The Engineering Design presentation evaluates teams’ ability to present their vehicle and
engineering principles behind it. Teams present their build to the judges, explaining design
decisions, manufacturing processes, innovations they have made, and their contribution
towards sustainability.
SE.2.2 Judges will move from pit-to-pit before racing events start. Teams are to be
prepared to give their presentation when the judges arrive at their pit.
SE.2.3 The allocated time for presentations is from the start of scrutineering to the
start of dynamic racing events on race day.
SE.2.4 The presentation may include judging for both the Engineering Design and
Special Awards (see Section 6.3 Special Awards).
SE.2.5 Teams not presenting receive zero points for Engineering Design and may not
be eligible for the special awards.
SE.2.6 Presentations must be delivered by more than one team member, with all
members present at the start.
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SE.3.0 Judging
Starts at the beginning of scrutineering, with judges walking around the pits and
meeting teams with their vehicles. Teams should be prepared to present to the
judges when they arrive.
SE.5.0 Showstopper
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Awards in bold indicate a trophy and certificate (all 1st places), where the others are
certificate only.
The Overall Placing is awarded to the team that has the highest number of combined Racing
and Static event points.
Table 8: Awards and trophies that are awarded at each EVolocity race day competition.
Class Overall Engineering Overall Earth Care* Showstopper*
Vehicle Design Placing
Performance Presentation
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7 National Competition
The National Competition consists of events that have teams be scored and ranked against
all teams in NZ. The events are entered by electronic submission of documents and the
National Leaderboard is automatically generated from the previous regional competition
results.
Teams must produce a document that details their entire build process. This should
include but is not limited to: planning, design, budgeting, resourcing, manufacture,
testing, and final production.
NC.1.2 The date and time for submissions changes each year. Refer to the website
for the current year’s submission date.
NC.1.3 Technical reports must not be written by external parties and/or teachers.
NC.1.4 Technical reports should contain no more than five pages, excluding
references, acknowledgements, and appendices.
NC.1.6 Technical reports should include a references page and use appropriate
referencing styles.
NC.1.8 Technical reports will be marked based on the marking rubric found on the
EVolocity website.
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NC.1.10 For each award there will be one winner across all regions.
NC.1.11 The winner of the Technical Report award will receive a trophy and certificate
following conclusion and marking of the event.
Table 9: Awards and trophies that are for the National Competition events.
Class Technical Report
Open Bike
Open Kart
The leaderboard will be posted on the EVolocity website after all competition results are
collated at the end of each year.
Winners of the National Leaderboard receive ultimate bragging rights, being crowned the
National Champion of EVolocity.
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Electrical Connections
The ECU uses XT90 connectors. The genders of the input and output connectors are
different so it is important to ensure the correct gender is installed. There are threaded M5
terminal blocks on the ECU which can be connected to M5 ring terminals if using XT90
connectors is not possible.
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When the ECU is not installed, the two connectors installed on the vehicle can be connected
together as shown below.
The pre-terminated leads can be connected to your existing wiring with the yellow crimp
splices. This is just an example, other crimps/connection methods are acceptable as long as
they are suitable for the motor currents.
Standard M5 ring terminals may be used if the XT90s are not. Size the ring terminal
appropriately for the wire gauge used.
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Purchasing
XT90s
EVolocity has had good success purchasing the following Male and Female pair
connectors: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001863187817.html
Yellow Splices
These can be purchased locally in NZ at Repco, Supercheap Auto and JayCar. These
splices are required in order to use the XT90 connectors.
Example: link.
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Your vehicle will draw the greatest power when accelerating from low speeds, or standstill.
Being “smooth on the throttle” at the start line and accelerating out of corners can help you
increase your efficiency, and avoid penalties.
Remember that a single 5s penalty can ruin your entire drag run, so don’t be afraid to be
gentle with the throttle!
Keep an ear out for your buzzer - once you hear a beeping tone you have 1 second to
reduce your power draw, but this doesn’t happen instantaneously. As soon as you hear the
beeping tone, you should smoothly reduce your throttle to zero. If 0.5s has passed, and the
beeping tone hasn’t disappeared, you should use your brakes, as this will reduce power
draw quicker than coasting.
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9 Revision History
F 02/07/2024 Added “kart only” to section VR.4.0 Safety cell, minor formatting
adjustments.
G 16/08/2024 Moved rule CR.3.2 from Open Class to General, improved wording
on VR.10.3, updated links in Section 2 Enquiries, minor formatting
adjustments.
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