Solar Panels
The array is composed of 391 C60 solar cells from SunPower (22.3% efficient), giving an output of approximately 1400 W in full sunlight. The cells are made of single crystal silicon and feature an all back- contact design to improve efficiency and make them easier to connect together. Each module of cells will be encapsulated in-house and connected underneath the aeroshell. Spitfire also implements four peak power trackers to maximize the power output from the solar array. A peak power tracker is a specialized circuit which maximizes power transfer from the solar cells based on changing sunlight conditions.

Battery
The battery pack is composed of a proprietary, military grade, lithium ion cells provided by Boston Power. There will be a total 210 cells in a configuration that produces a nominal voltage of 111 VDC and discharge current of 90 Amps. The total pack can store up to roughly 4.2 kWh of energy, a 10% kWh upgrade from our existing battery design. All the cells will weight just under 19.5 kg, and less than 23 kg for the entire battery pack. All the cell's voltages, temperatures and total pack current will be measured and processed by the battery management system, providing the team with an active protection system. The battery management system will feature non-contact hall-effect for current measurement, as well as a total voltage and temperature sample time of less than 220 microseconds. The output of the battery pack will also contain a class T fast acting 125A fuse as a passive protection method as a second degree of protection.

Body
Spitfire's body is constructed out of Kevlar - a synthetic fiber of high tensile strength. Kevlar is infused under a vacuum with resin to create the rigid structure of the aeroshell and bellypan. Carbon fibre ribs are used to support the aeroshell, providing rigidity and preventing bending under the shell's own weight.

Chassis
Spitfire's chassis is constructed out of 6061 T6, 1.5" square aluminum tube. The general structure is designed such that it only carries the driver and battery pack, and contains mounting points for the suspension and trailing arm. Finite element analysis was conducted to ensure safe operation of the chassis during collisions of up to 5Gs from different angles as required by regulations. The current chassis is the 7th design iteration and passes all safety tests with a high degree of success.

Suspension
The front suspension is made of a Double wishbone constructed of tubular steel with inboard dampening units, and custom designed upright and spindle, CNC'd out of 6061 grade T6 aluminum. The rear wheel uses a trailing arm style and mounts directly to the brushless DC motor, which then directly couples to the rear wheel.

Telemetry
Spitfire is equipped with a custom built telemetry circuit which transmits vehicle data including speed, battery charge level, solar array power production, power draw and much more real-time data to the team's race strategists. This allows the team to develop a winning strategy while monitoring the performance of the car.

Wheels
TThe wheels are custom designed and CNC'd out of high grade 6061 T6 aluminum, alloyed with silicon and manganese. FEA were conducted to achieve minimum weight to strength ratio while CFD was used to minimize tangential turbulent drag caused by the rotating wheel.

Driver Controls
The steering wheel contains a 3.1" OLED RGB display. This dynamic display system allows the team to troubleshoot the vehicle's entire electrical system from the driver's cockpit. This speeds up the troubleshooting process since the electrical team no longer has to switch back and forth between a laptop and the vehicle during the testing period.

Motor
Spitfire uses a M2096-II motor produced by Mitsuba. This 97% efficient brushless DC motor will allow the car to reach highway speeds while using the equivalent electric power of a hair dryer. The motor also comes equipped with regenerative braking, which slows down the car by using the motor as a generator and charging the battery pack.