Women on Wheels: Electric Bike Competition
The RELIEVE 2026 International Challenge is a competition with a technical and strategic focus and a strong social component, centered on electric mobility. It will take place on the UC Davis campus and is aimed at students, professionals, and enthusiasts of innovation in sustainable transportation.
The race will simulate a cargo collection problem. At the start of the competition, the cargo to be transported will be randomly placed at each checkpoint.
The cargo will be represented by balls of different colors, depending on their symbolic weight units.
Participants must collect all the cargo located at the various checkpoints, with the restriction that they may not exceed their maximum carrying capacity (10 units) at any time, and transport it to the finish line. There are no restrictions on logistics (route and order of collection).
When the participant arrives at the collection point, the pilot receives a number, which is the challenge number her team must complete at the base station.
The rider can only continue once the team completes the task.
As soon as the challenge is complete, the rider can race to the next station or return to home base to empty their weight. Strategy, teamwork, and speed will make all the difference in this race.
Teams can be mixed, but there’s one key rule: all riders must be exclusively female.
The pilot will play a crucial role in these challenges; beyond competing on the track, she can earn bonus points for her team by completing special activities at each station.
Motivation
This initiative seeks to raise awareness within the academic and technical community about the importance of efficient and sustainable electric mobility, integrating concepts such as energy performance, strategic driving, and sustainability. The competition simulates common urban freight distribution scenarios, commonly referred to as last-mile delivery.
The competition integrates key areas such as innovation, energy, gender parity, logistics, and electromobility into a single comprehensive challenge.
Check out last year’s competition
Objectives
- Optimize energy consumption in the use of electric bicycles
- Promote sustainable mobility and the adoption of clean technologies.
- Develop efficient riding skills applicable to real-world electric mobility scenarios.
- Encourage innovation and technical competitiveness within the academic and professional community.
Categories
- Single category: 100% electric bicycles or pedal-assist bicycles
- Maximum motor power: 350 W.
- Throttle system: Any type allowed (twist, trigger, or other electric control).
- Energy recovery and solar panels are allowed if they are an integral part of the bicycle.
- Batteries will be provided by organizers
Requirements
General Rules
- Participation is in teams and can be mixed, but riders must be exclusively female. The minimum number of participants per team is 5 (4 + 1 female driver).
- Teams must collect all cargo in 10 stations in the shortest time possible without exceeding their maximum capacity of 10 units.
- Cyclist will ride to each station, and upon arrival, their team must complete its corresponding challenge (in a separate area) before the rider can move to the next station.
- Once the team completes their challenge, the cyclist will receive their next instruction to move on to the next station.
Specifications
- All bicycles must have functional brakes.
- Bicycles must be equipped with a bell to alert others of potential obstacles that the organizers cannot control.
- Bicycle specifications: 26-inch wheels (R26), any material, any suspension and braking system.
- Batteries must be protected and securely mounted. Only batteries provided by the organizers may be used.
Provided batteries (each team receives 4): Lithium polymer (LiPo), 11.1 V, 3S, 5500 mAh, 50 C discharge
- Type: Lithium polymer (LiPo), 11.1 V, 3S, 5500 mAh, 50 C discharge
Wheel Prototype Option
- Participants who are unable to transport their full bicycle to Davis are encouraged to build at least a wheel with the electric bicycle components (motor and controller, excluding batteries) for air transport.
- The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies will provide a complete bicycle to teams that need it.
Battery Connectors
- All necessary battery connectors will be provided by the organizer
This year’s route map
To learn more about the rules, please click on the link below to view our official rules and regulations: