Formula-E is the first fully electric-single seater series given the official FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile - the international governing body of motorsport) stamp of approval. Its first race held in 2014 in Beijing, the series intends on allowing car manufacturers to develop the pinnacle of electronic automotive technology to be used in the future of road cars, and has attracted the likes of Mercedes, Jaguar, Nissan and Porsche.
Traditional problems with electric-powertrain road cars are typically their poor range and long charging times, primarily due to battery technology which continues to develop. Formula-E aims to, alongside other objectives, push the boundaries of this technology that many argue is the future of automobiles.
This technology has rapidly advanced in even the last few years since the initial season of Formula E. The first generation vehicles were constructed by Spark-Racing Technology, utilising a Dallara-designed chassis and battery systems from Williams Advanced Engineering (this is very similar to the vehicles raced in Extreme E, which you can find out more about here). The motors used had a rough power output of 190 kW, equivalent to around 250 horsepower, with a top speed of 140mph. From the second season of Formula E, constructors were given the opportunity to manufacture their own powertrains, including the electric motor, inverter (to convert voltages between the battery and the motor units), and cooling systems.
Formula E received significant criticism for having ‘relatively’ slow vehicles, with limited power outputs and high weights due to the batteries. The fact they were cumbersome made them slightly tricky to race, especially around tight street circuits for which they had been designed to be used. Alongside this, drivers were often required to swap their cars mid-race to a fresh fully charged vehicle, due to the limited capacity of the batteries used. None of these points were directly the fault of Formula E - the technology had not yet been developed. The purpose of the series was to drive the technology forward, and Formula E created one of the first independent organisations to actively push electric-powertrain vehicles to their limits.
The second generation of F-E vehicles were introduced in 2018. The Gen2 car had significant performance benefits over the previous generation of vehicle, including the eradication of mid-race car swapping as the battery technology had improved significantly. Spark SRT05e had an increased motor power output to 250kW, leading to top speeds of approximately 170mph. Whilst not as quick as a category such as Formula 1, these improvements increased the popularity and reputation of the series, especially as they are still not designed to be raced around permanent circuits and are for temporary street tracks, in locations such as London, Berlin, and Diriyah. The series was also brought up to the most recent FIA safety standards, including the ‘Halo’ roll hoop that surrounds the driver in the cockpit for added protection against debris and in crashes. This generation of Formula E car continues to be raced to this day, and most recently saw Nyck de Vries take the 2021 championship in his Mercedes-EQ.
‘Gen3’ Formula E was formally unveiled at the 2022 Monaco E-Prix, offering increased performance figures such as up to 350kW motor outputs in Qualifying, nearly double the output of the initial Gen1 vehicle. Whilst the new design of the vehicles has certainly split opinions, one of the most interesting developments in this generation is the introduction of ‘Flash Charging’. The upgraded battery units will have charging capabilities up to 600kW, which gives the potential for batteries to be re-charged in the middle of the race, in a pitstop. These upgrades, alongside reduced battery and inverter weights by around 120kg, should give drastically increased range.
Whilst cars have been limited to 40-45 minute races due to the capabilities of electric powertrains, Formula-E has very much contributed to the viability of electric power vehicles both commercially and recreationally. Since Formula E’s inauguration, more than 175 different electric vehicles are now available in Europe, many of which have manufactures directly competing in Formula E, such as Mercedes or Porsche, or utilise the technology developed by these companies.
Formula E cars currently rely on regenerative breaking, a method of recovering electronic energy through the mechanical forces of the car when slowing down, in order to last a full race distance. This technology is now commonly seen in electric-powertrain vehicles from almost every manufacturer. It allows greater efficiencies and longer ranges by recovering energy that would be lost to the environment as heat.
These developments continue through technological advancements such as the aforementioned flash charging. If developed successfully, this has important applications in the real world, with automotive batteries recharging in a matter of seconds, as opposed to hours. This could drastically change the associated charging issues with current electric vehicles, where chargers often take significantly longer than filling a car with combustible fuels.
Alongside this, Formula E are also actively contributing to general improvements in sustainable operation for both itself and the motorsport industry, including the implementation of United Nations Sustainable Goals within the business, working with local charities and communities at race destinations to further development environmental initiatives, and developing bespoke sustainability campaigns for their associated teams and partners. While not the direct focus of this post, these will be investigated in more depth in a future writeup, make sure to look out for that one!
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