As a part of our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, Tesla will be supporting student teams aspiring to build electric vehicles as part of Formula SAE and Formula Student competitions around the world.
For 2026 competitions, Tesla is offering two independent sponsorship programs – one for battery cells and one for BMS hardware. Teams may apply to one or both programs.
Teams can apply online HERE by October 5, 2025, and will need to provide a 1-page design brief. Tesla will review proposals and select top teams to receive their choice of sponsorship option. Tesla will also offer sponsored teams the opportunity to review their designs with some of the world’s leading electric powertrain engineers and will provide guidance through the design and validation process.
We look forward to reviewing your concept!
Teams may apply for sponsorship among one of the following options free of cost.
A) ADI Package
- ADBMS6830B 16-Channel Multicell Battery Monitor IC (QTY 40) and demo board (QTY 1).
- ADBMS2950 Battery Pack Monitor IC (QTY 5) and demo board (QTY 1)
- ADBMS6822 Single/Dual isoSPI Transceiver IC (QTY 5) and demo board (QTY 1)
- EVAL-ADBMS6822-TSY demo board (QTY1)
- Access to supporting documentation, examples, and technical support.
- Access to Analog Devices’ Logo Kit for sponsor webpage and vehicle livery
B) TI Package
- BQ79616-Q1 16S Precision Battery Monitor IC (QTY 33) and demo board (QTY 2)
- BQ79600-Q1 SPI/UART Communication IC (QTY 2)
- Access to supporting documentation, examples, and technical support.
BMS Hardware Sponsorship Policies & Eligibility:
1. Sponsorship Timeline
- Applications close on October 5th, 2025 at 11:59:59 PM, PDT (UTC-7). Applications are final and there are no guarantees to accommodate change requests.
- Teams will be notified on October 17th, 2025 if they have been awarded a sponsorship.
- All teams selected to receive a BMS hardware sponsorship will receive the Team Participation Agreement to sign and further communication to provide confirmation of shipping information. Tesla will work with our partners to distribute hardware as soon as possible.
2. Intent to Compete
- Interested teams must be planning to register and attend for at least one Formula SAE or Formula Student engineering competition in 2026 with an electric vehicle class, including but not limited to Formula SAE Electric (June 2026) and Formula Student Germany (August 2026).
3. Contact Info & Additional Information
- The dedicated inbox at [email protected] is your best resource for all inquiries related to the sponsorship administration. This inbox is checked regularly and will be responded to promptly.
- All teams selected to receive a BMS hardware sponsorship will receive further instructions for access to documentation and technical support directly from the hardware providers.
Teams may apply for sponsorship among one of the following options free of cost.
A) 5Ah P50B 2170 cylindrical cells from Molicel (QTY 600)
B) 3.0 Ah P30B 1865 cylindrical cells from Molicel (QTY 1000)
C) CIE Solutions Lithium Block™ or MonoLith™ commercial battery hardware – $3000 USD discount on an order of $5000 USD or more.
Tesla will cover freight shipping costs for options A and B. Customs or import fees on final delivery are the responsibility of the receiving team, if applicable.
1. Sponsorship Timeline
- Applications close on October 5th, 2025 at 11:59:59 PM, PDT (UTC-7). Applications are final and there are no guarantees to accommodate change requests.
- Teams will be notified on October 17th, 2025 if they have been awarded a sponsorship.
- All teams that selected a CIE Solutions discount will be provided with a discount code in October. After receiving the code, teams are responsible for correspondence with CIE Solutions to complete their order.
- All teams that selected option A (P50B 2170) or B (P30B 1865) will receive the Team Participation Agreement to sign and further communication to sign a liability release waiver and provide confirmation of shipping information before receiving sponsored cells. Failure to submit this information blocks shipment of cells. Tesla will aim to distribute cells with targeted delivery by January 2026.
2. Regionality
- Loose cells (options A and B) are only available to teams located within US, Canada, and the European Union.
3. Intent to Compete
- Interested teams must be planning to register and attend for at least one Formula SAE or Formula Student engineering competition in 2026 with an electric vehicle class, including but not limited to Formula SAE Electric (June 2026) and Formula Student Germany (August 2026).
4. Prior Sponsorships
- Teams may only hold one active cell sponsorship at a time and are ineligible for new sponsorships until prior sponsorships conclude.
- Sponsorships are “active” when the cells or discount codes are received by a student team.
- Sponsorships are “concluded” when the sponsored hardware (loose cells or discounted) is used in competition as verified by registration and ESF submissions.
- If a team has not placed an order and finalized payment terms using their discount code by the below deadlines, the discount code is then invalid and the sponsorship is concluded.
- Discount codes provided as part of 2024 program and all previous years expired on December 31st, 2024.
- Discount codes provided as part of the 2025 program expire on December 31st, 2025.
- If a team is classified ineligible for the 2026 program per the criteria above, they may appeal with justification to become eligible via the application form.
- Teams may request, with justification via the application form, to cancel unused discount codes to conclude a prior sponsorship. This does not guarantee selection for a 2026 sponsorship and is not reversible.
Examples:
- Team A received 1865 cells in the 2025 sponsorship program. They built the cells into a battery pack and competed in FSAE Michigan in 2025. Team A is eligible for the 2026 sponsorship program.
- Team B received a discount code in the 2025 sponsorship program. They placed an order, received the modules, built them into a battery pack, and competed at FSG in 2025. Team B is eligible for the 2026 sponsorship program.
- Team C received 2170 cells in the 2025 sponsorship program. They competed at FSAE Michigan in 2025, but did not use the sponsored cells in their battery pack. Team C is not eligible for the 2026 sponsorship program.
- Team D received a discount code in the 2025 sponsorship program but have not yet placed an order with the vendor. Team D is not eligible for the 2026 sponsorship program.
5. Contact Info & Additional Information
- The dedicated inbox at [email protected] is your best resource for all inquiries related to the sponsorship. This inbox is checked regularly and will be responded to promptly.
- The datasheets provided contain all technical information available to student teams from Tesla. No other technical performance data is available from Tesla.
- Selected teams will have opportunities to engage with Tesla’s team throughout the sponsorship period, including potential technical reviews, design guidance, and career development resources. While the level of collaboration may vary based on team needs and Tesla’s capacity, we aim to foster meaningful partnerships and support student growth in electric vehicle innovation.
Datasheets and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for the battery sponsorship offered
MOLICEL Product Data Sheet Model INR-18650-P30B
INR-18650-P30B Safety Data Sheet - FSSF00062AL
MOLICEL Product Data Sheet Model INR-21700-P50B
INR-21700-P50B Safety Data Sheet - FSSF00062AL
FSAE_LB_E
FSAE_MONOLITH_B
