Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) student community, represented by Team Yacaranda, has once again achieved an impressive accomplishment in an electric vehicle competition. The achievement was secured at the Formula Student Malaysia (FSM) 2026 competition, co-organized by SAE International (SAE). The EV-4 electric car, designed by the Indonesian team, was successfully presented at the Dato Sagor Circuit in Malaysia on April 22-23, where Team Yacaranda won 1st place in the Static Event category.
This achievement demonstrates the EV-4 electric vehicle design’s competitiveness against other participants’ entries. In this category, several aspects were evaluated, including Engineering Design, Cost & Manufacturing, and Business Presentation. One of the most challenging aspects for the team was Cost & Manufacturing, which required detailed breakdowns and cost estimations for each component. Meanwhile, in the Engineering Design aspect, the team received high praise from the judges.
“This is our first time participating in the Static Event, which evaluates cost and manufacturing, so we had to gather extensive data to complete the documentation. We needed to understand every detail, including specifications and pricing. This became a challenge for us,” Arfa, the General Manager, told the reporters on Thursday (Apr. 30).
The achievement reflects the team’s capability and strong collaboration. Arfa, as General Manager, accompanied by Naka, the Technical Leader, represented multiple divisions to explain the designed unit. The divisions involved in preparing the vehicle included Mechanical, Managerial, Electrical, and Chassis Aerodynamic, all contributing to the Cost & Manufacturing and Engineering Design aspects.
Arfa explained that preparations had begun at the end of last year, although they were briefly hindered by the holiday period. Despite these challenges, the team’s determination to continue research and component development did not diminish.
It is worth noting that Yacaranda is the first team from Indonesia to participate in the annual electric vehicle competition in Malaysia. This milestone also earned them the Outstanding Team award and secured 1st place in the Static Event category. The title was awarded by the organizers in recognition of Yacaranda as the first Indonesian team in the history of the Formula Student Malaysia competition.
Beyond the team’s hard work, this achievement was also supported by various parties, including the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the UGM Vocational College (SV UGM), the UGM Directorate of Student Affairs, and resources from partners and sponsors.
The Director of Student Affairs at UGM, Dr. Hempri Suyatna, also conveyed his congratulations and hopes on behalf of the university.
“Congratulations on this outstanding achievement. We hope that your innovation and creativity will not stop here, but can be further developed and downstreamed to provide greater benefits for industry and society,” he said.
Through this accomplishment, Team Yacaranda is committed to consistently advancing electric vehicle research within the university environment and strengthening its experience in international-scale electric vehicle competitions in the future.
The achievement of Team Yacaranda highlights the crucial role of universities in providing platforms and fostering ecosystems that support student creativity and innovation. Strong synergy among all stakeholders, from the university, faculties, and lecturers to students, is essential to achieving even greater accomplishments.
Author: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Zabrina Kumara
Photo: Yacaranda Team