Society of Automotive Engineers

While the Department does not have a student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), a number of students join the national society and enter the national SAE Supermileage Competition and the national Baja SAE Competition.

What is SAE? 

What do cars, aircraft, trucks, off-highway equipment, engines, materials, manufacturing, and fuels have in common? SAE. The Society of Automotive Engineers is a one-stop resource for technical information and expertise used in designing, building, maintaining, and operating self-propelled vehicles for use on land or sea, in air or space. More than 83,000 engineers, business executives, educators, and students from more than 97 countries belong to SAE and share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility systems.

Click here for national SAE website

Baja SAE Competition 

Baja SAE is a competition that is sponsored by SAE in which students design and build an off-road vehicle using a Briggs & Stratton 10 hp OHV Intek Engine. Our team competes against teams from schools all over the world in five events: hill climb, top speed, maneuverability, presentation and documentation, and 100 mile endurance race. Students working on this project will learn teamwork and gain experience in engineering design, manufacturing, business, and marketing, Most importantly students will have fun while getting hands on experience related to their major field of study. To learn more about the project contact one of the group's officers.

Supermileage® Competition

The Supermileage® competition provides engineering and technology students with a challenging, real-world project in which they design, develop, and construct, and test a single-person, fuel-efficient vehicle to compete against other student teams and is sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).  All vehicles are all powered by a small single-cylinder, four-cycle engine.  Students have the opportunity to set a world fuel-economy record and increase public awareness of fuel efficiency. Chico’s Supermileage Vehicle (SMV) is optimized for maximum fuel efficiency by combining low weight, minimum frontal area, low-drag aerodynamic shape, and extensive mechanical and fuel-management engine modifications.    This year’s SMV incorporates a fully-monocoque structure, comprised of carbon fiber, Nomex honeycomb, and resin.  There is no separate metal structure in the vehicle frame or body; it is made completely out of composites.  This increases the vehicle’s rigidity, while decreasing the vehicle’s weight. The engine is based on a 3.5hp Briggs & Stratton block.  The crankshaft, connecting rod, bearings, sleeve, piston, and head—plus the oiling, spark-control, and fuel-management systems—have all been modified or newly fabricated to increase engine efficiency through reduced internal friction and more complete energy conversion. For further information visit www.sae.org