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What happens when cutting-edge engineering meets racing innovation? You get the Formula Hybrid+Electric (FH+E) Competition, a unique event that challenges the brightest collegiate minds to design, build, and race hybrid and electric vehicles. And we’re proud to say that the New England Racing Museum (NERM) is part of it.

A Brief History of Formula Hybrid+Electric

The roots of Formula Hybrid trace back to 2003, when Dartmouth engineering students set out to build their first hybrid race car for the Formula SAE competition. When a rule change suddenly barred hybrid entries, those same students pivoted, developing a brand-new competition that embraced the future of motorsport.

Founded in 2006 by Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering, Formula Hybrid pushes students to create race cars with either hybrid or fully electric drivetrains. The challenge? Combine high performance with exceptional fuel efficiency. The inaugural event took place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH, in 2007—and it’s grown every year since. In 2012, the competition made history again by launching the Electric Vehicle Class, becoming the first SAE Collegiate Design Series to welcome fully electric entries.

Best of All? It’s Free!

This four-day event is completely free and open to the public! Whether you're a racing fan, an engineer, or just curious, it’s an inspiring way to spend a day (or more).

Learn more at: https://www.formula-hybrid.org

NERM’s Role and Growing Involvement

Our partnership with Dartmouth Engineering began in 2019, thanks to Mike Chapman, Director of Dartmouth FH+E. Since then, our involvement has deepened each year. For the past several events, NERM has hosted a special evening for students, faculty, and volunteers—a lively open house and pizza party at the museum.

This year, from April 28 through May 1, we welcomed over 400 guests to the museum. (Fun fact: they polished off 110 large pizzas in the outdoor area!) It’s always a thrill to share our exhibits and racing history with the next generation of engineers and innovators.

Personally, I first attended in 2022 and was immediately hooked. Seeing the cars up close and meeting the students at the museum inspired me to get more involved. This year, I had the chance to co-lead the “Brake Testing” portion of the vehicle inspection process alongside Steve Locke—a rewarding experience that gave me an even deeper appreciation for the technical rigor of the event.

What Visitors Are Saying

“I was totally impressed by the student’s technical expertise and by the great teamwork they displayed working together.
Jim Lowrey, NERM Board Member, racer, and owner of Lowrey’s Auto Restorations

“The scale of intelligence, camaraderie and competitiveness of these young folks is really remarkable to witness.”
Ruth Thomson, NERM Deputy Director

“I was impressed by the dedication and passion shown by the students overlooking the vehicles in the museum. It was exciting to discuss the engineering behind racing and the highly technical aspects behind what makes their race teams and cars so competitive.”
Ryan Nicholson, NERM Operations Manager

“Having been a mechanical tech inspector for the last two years, I am continually impressed with the design ingenuity and enthusiasm the teams bring to the competition. Watching the teams compete on the track, putting their design and construction efforts to the test, is also lots of fun.”
Greg Zimmerman, NERM member and owner of Zimmlitt Motoring Auto Restoration Service

Join Us Next Year!

I highly recommend taking a day (or all four) to check out next year’s competition. The pit areas are open to the public, and the students are always eager to share their work. You’ll witness firsthand the intense tech inspections and the thrilling results of months of hard work.

We’ll announce the 2026 event dates early next year, so stay tuned. We can’t wait to see you there!

It’s electrifying!

Tom Crompton
NERM Board Member