NXTGENbps provides sustainable power to cover the motorsport of the future

NXTGENbps, a pioneer in battery power solutions and a champion of sustainable energy, worked with High Viz Media (Group) ltd to provide all the shooting power required to cover the 2024 Formula Student. This showcase of future engineering took place at the home of UK motorsport, Silverstone. 

Formula Student was established more than 25 years ago by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. To compete, teams of students have to build a fully-functional car which competes in a series of stringent tests. A panel of expert judges also evaluates the innovation in engineering, with heavy emphasis on sustainability, including electric power. The 2024 event attracted 180 teams, with more than a thousand students involved. 

The events of the Formula Student weekend were streamed live, including a marathon eight and a half hour broadcast on Saturday 20 July. Providing coverage was High Viz Media. Founder and MD Nick Collier said “Our brief was to provide high production values – but without the budget of a Formula 1 meet. 

“The event is very fast moving,” he explained. “These courses test the agility, endurance and speed of the cars – and they are very fast indeed. For us, it meant continually resetting to different locations to get the cameras where they were needed.” 

To simplify the continual re-rigging, High Viz Media elected to power all the cameras using the NXTGENbps Goat portable power unit. This is a practical but very powerful battery built into a rugged cart, making it simple to move to where you need it.  

The Goat provides 5 kw, with a basic capacity of 4.8 kWh expandable up to 139.2 kWh. It can be charged from any power source, including electric vehicle chargers and solar panels. The purpose-built inverter generates a pure sine wave to eliminate the risk to sensitive equipment.  

“It powered our multi-camera weekend on a single charge,” said Collier. “Even without the solar panels the Goat operated for two days without any significant degradation.” 

Collier also emphasised that taking power to the shoot meant there was no need to run power cables around the track, greatly simplifying the risk assessment and making the crew much more agile. The NXTGENbps solution allowed for safer and more flexible placement of power close to the broadcast equipment, enhancing overall efficiency without impacting the quality of the shoot. 

Lesley Marr, Director or Sustainability from NXTGENbps said “Seeing our flagship product used in an event like Formula Student demonstrates the real-world impact of our sustainable energy solutions. The Goat provided consistent and reliable power throughout the event, meeting all the demands of the High Viz Media team seamlessly and with minimal environmental impact." 

For more on Formula Student see https://www.imeche.org/events/formula-student. For High Viz Media, go to https://www.highvizmedia.com