Chem-E-Car - Fall 2026
Description
Who Are We
Founded in 2011, UC Irvine Chem-E-Car is an entirely student-run engineering design team within UC Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering. Each year, an interdisciplinary team of over 50 undergraduate engineers designs, prototypes and builds autonomous, shoebox-sized vehicles powered and stopped entirely by chemical reactions to compete at the AIChE Western Regional Conference.
From custom lead-acid batteries and hydrogen fuel cells to enzymatic and chemiluminescent stopping mechanisms, our team bridges classroom theory with pilot-scale, hands-on application.
Chem-E-Car is an extreme test of precision and control. One hour before a competition, teams are given an exact target distance (15–30 meters). Mechanical brakes are strictly prohibited; the cars must travel and stop precisely at the finish line using calibrated chemical kinetics, embedded microcontroller circuitry and custom chassis fabrication.
Our Track Record & Innovations
2024: 1st Place at the AIChE Western Regional Conference.
2025: Successfully engineered and operated a custom onboard hydrogen fuel cell system.
2026: Fielded two vehicles with completely distinct power and stopping chemistries, placing 6th and 7th regionally.
2026-27 Competition: Chem-E-Car Leads for “Mikey Mobile” as they prepare for the competition run!
Chem-E-Car Leads at the Regional Competition after "Ron Knight's" successful run!
Why Your Support Matters
Our team needs at least $500 to build two competitive vehicles this season, but the more we raise, the farther we can go! Here is a breakdown of our projected costs:
$200 - Custom designed PCB and power materials such as electrode plates and electrolyte salts for our custom electrochemical power cells.
$150 - Stopping Mechanism reagents and enzymes (such as urease and buffer solutions) needed to conduct calibrated stopping kinetic trials.
$100 - Embedded circuitry and sensors (microcontroller boards, photo-sensors and motors that read reaction thresholds control the car).
$50 - Critical lab consumables such as calibrated syringes, personal PPE and secondary chemical containment needed for safe benchtop testing.
Your contribution equips young engineers with the lab access, technical leadership and multidisciplinary skills needed to launch careers in clean energy, materials science and robotics.
Join our journey — support UC Irvine Chem-E-Car today!
Connect With Us
Check out our website, follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, or reach out to us directly via email at ucichemecars@gmail.com.
$5
The Catalyst
A little catalyst can make a big difference. Your gift helps get our experiments moving.
$10
Reaction Starter
Help kick-start our next reaction by supporting the purchase of chemicals, tubing, connectors and other everyday testing materials.
$25
Reaction Engineer
Helps us buy a batch of the chemicals and materials behind the reactions that make our car move and stop.
$50
Team Lead
Help our chemical, mechanical and electrical teams turn calculations and CAD into a working vehicle.
$100
Chief Engineer
Support major testing and design decisions as we prepare our final competition car.
$250
Project Manager
Become one of the driving forces behind our season by helping fund major components, materials and competition costs.
