Building a Hemp Aero Kit for Formula SAE? Here’s What Happened!

What happens when a Formula SAE team trades carbon fiber for hemp? In this episode of SAE Beyond the Competition, we talk with Alton Coolidge from Olin College of Engineering about his team’s bold experiment — building an aero kit for their Formula car using sustainable hemp materials. Alton shares how the idea came together, why hemp was the perfect choice for their budget and workspace, and what they learned from the challenges of working with non-traditional composites. It’s a great conversation about creativity, problem-solving, and how sustainable materials like hemp could play a bigger role in the future of automotive design — especially for student teams. Learn more about Alton at www.altoncoolidge.com and check out his full video series on the project here. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLupOQxK7Bfe8FLjMPqqw6_MVvJu3c0CgR Subscribe to Beyond the Competition on your favorite podcast app or follow SAE University Programs on YouTube for more conversations like this!