ÉTS electric motorcycle team gears up for 2027 race with Placide and Milwaukee support

COMETS, the École de technologie supérieure electric motorcycle team, is building its next prototype for MotoStudent 9 in Spain after using more than 80% Milwaukee tools supplied through Outillage Placide Mathieu. The project blends student engineering, international competition and industry backing as the team prepares to start manufacturing in November 2026.

Why it matters: - COMETS is turning student racing into a hands-on engineering testbed, with real-world design, fabrication and performance targets. - The team’s work gives ÉTS students access to professional tools and international competition experience that can translate into mobility and engineering careers. - PLACIDE and Milwaukee are extending their support across multiple ÉTS teams, signaling a broader investment in the school’s engineering pipeline.

What happened: - COMETS, ÉTS’s electric motorcycle team, is developing a next-generation prototype for MotoStudent 9 in Spain. - Outillage Placide Mathieu and Milwaukee are supplying tools and support to the team. - More than 80% of the tools used by COMETS come from Milwaukee through PLACIDE. - The team’s current prototype, Atlas, reaches 206 km/h, produces 60 kW and weighs about 140 kg. - COMETS plans to compete at MotoStudent 9 in Spain in October 2027.

The details: - COMETS has about 40 members, including 25 active members, spread across seven technical departments and three management departments. - Students work on vehicle dynamics, chassis and suspension, power transmission, aerodynamics, thermal management, high- and low-voltage systems, electronics, programming and data acquisition. - Atlas includes CNC-machined aluminum structures, pre-impregnated carbon-fiber parts, control systems and data acquisition. - The team uses Milwaukee M18 impact drivers and drills, an M12 blower, an M12 polisher and an M18 random orbital sander. - Four PACKOUT towers help COMETS organize and move equipment between departments and competitions. - At the track, the M12 blower can cool the motorcycle between sessions. - The polisher and random orbital sander help prepare and polish molds for carbon-fiber components. - The new prototype is in the design phase and is scheduled to begin manufacturing in November 2026. - COMETS says the new motorcycle will feature a fully carbon-fiber structural chassis, a structural flax-fiber subframe and an aerodynamic package designed and simulated by team members. - More than 100 teams are expected at MotoStudent 9.

Between the lines: - The partnership is about more than tool sponsorship. It gives students access to industrial-grade equipment while exposing them to the pressures of competition. - COMETS is using each race cycle to move from concept to validation, which mirrors the engineering process used in industry. - The support also fits into a wider ÉTS strategy. PLACIDE, Milwaukee and COMETS are part of a broader network that has backed OMER, an autonomous submarine team, and Chinook, an aerospace team. - OMER earned several distinctions at the 2025 International Submarine Races in Washington, D.C., including a world speed record of 7.68 knots.

What's next: - COMETS plans to finish the design phase and start manufacturing in November 2026. - The team will continue developing the next prototype ahead of the October 2027 competition in Spain. - More than 100 teams are expected to give COMETS another global benchmark for its engineering choices. - PLACIDE and Milwaukee are likely to remain visible around future ÉTS student projects, given the broader support already in place.

The bottom line: - For COMETS, the race track is also a classroom, and the next lap is already underway.