From blank page to racetrack: Warwick students build electric motorbike for global competition
Tuesday 14 October 2025
From blank page to racetrack: Warwick students build electric motorbike for global competition
Inside WMG’s Student Projects workshop at the University of Warwick, more than 30 students are hard at work designing and building a fully electric motorbike from scratch. Their goal? To compete in the MotoStudent competitionLink opens in a new window, a prestigious international engineering challenge held in Spain.
This is no simple task. WMG is home to one of the UK’s most advanced energy storage research facilities, but this project pushes its high standards even further. The project combines student passion with academic expertise to tackle real-world challenges in electric mobility.
“Electric cars and bikes are the future, and they’re ridiculously fast,” says Jonathan Saul, Associate Professor and Project Supervisor at WMG.
“They go from a blank page to a rolling chassis in nine months. It’s a mammoth project.” — Jonathan Saul
At the helm is Nirmit Jobanputra, Student Leader and Chief Engineer. An undergraduate student studying electrical and electronic engineering, Nirmit joined the team in his first year with no experience in electric powertrains or bike mechanics. Through active involvement in design, prototyping, and industry outreach, he built the skills to lead Warwick’s debut in MotoStudent this year.
“Each project represents thousands of hours of grit, determination, and problem-solving before you even see the polished bikes lining up to race”, says Nirmit.
Warwick Moto is preparing to ship the bike to Aragón, Spain, for the four-day MotoStudent competition, where teams from Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Brazil, and beyond will showcase their electric motorbikes. Warwick Moto is the only UK team participating in 2025 — a testament to their commitment, especially given the logistical barriers of transporting high-voltage batteries across EU borders.
A dedicated subteam is currently navigating European transport laws, ferry schedules, and customs regulations to ensure the bike reaches the track on time.
“The logistics might be the most stressful subsystem of all”, one student jokes.
Support from WMG staff is critical to the team’s success. Dave Cooper, Engineering Technician (Student Projects), leads mechanical support, while Malcolm Swain, Lead Engineer, provides senior engineering guidance on the electrical and research side. Technicians from the International Manufacturing Centre (IMC) ensure every part of the build meets safety and performance standards.
The staff who guide these students are the unsung heroes”, says Jonathan. “It’s phenomenal to see what the students can do, but it’s the team behind them that makes it all possible.”
The project is supported by industry sponsors, including the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, a key WMG partner providing essential funding and resources. As part of the process, students actively engage with industry professionals to secure backing, gaining valuable experience in building business relationships that will benefit them long after graduation.
“Seeing the shocked faces of the students when you tell them what they’re going to be doing and then watching them present their finished bike to sponsors and at the competition... that’s the point of it all,” says Jonathan.
The students have named the bike ‘Panther’, and presented it to stakeholders, classmates, and industry sponsors at a launch event on Monday 6 October.
With the bike track-ready and the team set to represent the UK on a global stage, Warwick Moto shows what’s possible when curiosity, collaboration, and engineering excellence come together.
Follow the team’s journey to Spain through Warwick Moto's LinkedIn pageLink opens in a new window.