July 7, 2026 The revival of Chem-E-Car at UW-Madison Written By: Claire Massey Departments: Chemical & Biological Engineering Categories: Students|Undergraduate A student-driven organization, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Chem-E-Car team engineers a small-scale vehicle powered entirely by chemical reactions for the annual American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Chem-E-Car Competition. With no external electronics or batteries, students must design their cars to travel a precise distance and stop using only reaction-driven energy and control systems. The challenge combines chemical engineering principles with electrical design, fabrication, experimentation, and systems integration. After an eight-year hiatus, the Madison Chem-E-Car team was reestablished in 2023 by Summit Schultz (BSChE ’25) and Cator Buck (BSChE ’26). Since then, students have worked to rebuild the team from the ground up, restoring technical knowledge while establishing systems that could support future members and future competitions. This year, the team competed at the 2026 AIChE North Central Student Regional Conference at Purdue University, placing seventh out of 17 teams. In addition, they earned second place in the Chem-E-Car poster competition. Team lead Morris Yen (BSChE ’26) also received second-place awards in both the student poster and technical presentation categories. The team views this progress as a part of building a sustainable program—every design revision, testing session, and competition run contributes to future work. “This competition marked a major milestone for our club,” said Satyam Bhushan (BSChE ’27). “It was the first time in the team’s renewed history that the car placed in the competition.” Designing a complete system Each part of the car depends on another. A change in battery performance can affect timing, while chassis modifications may influence overall operation. Designing and testing those interactions gives students experience working through systematic challenges that engineers encounter outside the classroom. Since 2023, the Madison team has expanded beyond chemical engineering and includes students from biomedical, mechanical, and electrical and computer engineering. This interdisciplinary structure allows students to approach the vehicle as a complete engineered system rather than as separate components. Still, the Chem-E-Car project includes several smaller teams that focus on a specific aspect of the vehicle while they collaborate on the overall system. Battery Team Works on the electrochemical systems that provide the propulsion for the car. Timing Team Develops the reactions that control stopping distance and ensure the vehicle reaches its target distance precisely. Electrical Team Designs the circuits connecting all the systems together. Chassis Team Creates the vehicle itself using design software, fabrication techniques, and prototyping tools. Research Team Conducts safety evaluations, creates the poster, and investigates future design concepts. Building skills through experience Chem-E-Car gives students the opportunity to move beyond theory and participate in projects where outcomes depend on design choices and iterative problem solving. Newer students work alongside experienced team members, creating an environment where learning happens naturally through collaboration. “Chem-E-Car is unique because it allows students to take ownership of developing a chemical process from beginning to end,” said Heidi Schwertfeger (BSChE ’27). “Students get experience in all parts of making a project come to life, including research, design, documentation, testing and implementation.” Students also gain exposure to skills that extend beyond technical work. Upperclassmen and team leaders provide additional guidance on coursework, internships, and career preparation. For many members, those relationships become an important part of the experience. “Whether I’ve needed help with deciding what classes to take, or help with studying for exams or with homework problems, Chem-E-Car has been a phenomenal resource,” said Max Bartlett (BSChE ’28). The car of the future The team has already begun planning for next season with the goal of continuing to improve performance and pursuing qualification for the national AIChE conference. Future work includes refining battery chemistry, improving timing calibration, and exploring alternative vehicle designs, including concepts using pressurized gas systems. The research team has also started investigating alternate reaction systems that could support future competition cycles. For many students, the work itself is what keeps them involved. “I chose to join Chem-E-Car because it promised to give me somewhere to take the knowledge gained in the classroom and apply it to a shared goal,” said Mohor Sarkar (BSChE ’27). “Not only has being part of the team given me that, but it has also given me a community.” As the team continues to grow, Chem-E-Car remains a place where students can experiment, lead projects, and see ideas move from initial concepts to a functioning system—one chemical reaction at a time. If you want to get involved, the Chem-E-Car team will start meeting regularly again at the start of the fall semester and will have open meetings so new people can join! Check out their website and Instagram to stay up to date.