Formula E: the journey so far and the road ahead

[King_of_lion]

The 2019/20 Formula E season is just around the corner, with 24 drivers and 12 teams from across the world battling it out for the championship title in the highest class competition for electric open-wheel racing. Since its inaugural championship back in 2014, this young motorsport has paved the way for an era of pure electric racing, with its first-generation cars reaching top speeds of around 225km/h (140mph). Manufacturers invested in the sport, however, are consistently developing new technologies to ensure these racing cars are more powerful, efficient and, most importantly, faster. “We’ve come a long way and progressed at a rapid rate in such a short space of time,” says Formula E founder and chairman, Alejandro Agag. “We were essentially a start-up in the first few seasons and the idea itself was only written down on paper eight years ago. Now we’re entering our sixth season and continuing to charge forward.” In its last season (2018/19), the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) introduced a new car to the competition. Known as the Gen2, the Batmobile-esque machine is capable of speeds of up to 280km/h (174mph), thus showing how rapidly the technology has progressed. “The cars have got quicker - they look cooler, too!” Agag exclaims. “We’ve also gone from two cars to one car per driver [2018/2019] and doubled the range of the battery. That’s the biggest visual indication of the progress we’ve made with the performance and efficiency of the second-generation car.” Besides its Gen2 car, which is intended to be raced for three more seasons, teams can tinker with their cars to ensure they can go faster – within regulations, of course. “The regulations and room for manoeuvre are concentrated to areas of the car around the electric powertrain, with the freedom to develop components such as the motor, inverter, gearbox and rear suspension,” Agag explains. “Therefore, teams take the energy from the battery and can control how best to put that power down. “This was a conscious decision to limit what teams can influence, especially in the early phase of the lifespan of the series,” he adds. “Having a certain number of ‘spec parts’ keeps competition close - which is what we and fans want - and it keeps costs down, which is what the teams want!” Agag also highlights how there is an even-minded investment within the teams to ensure the competition is fair. “What we wanted to avoid is one team dominating, or one team winning by out-spending another,” says Agag. Indeed, by regulation, teams who develop their own powertrains have to offer them to customer teams at a fixed price. This allows customer teams and independent teams to have a chance at competing. Agag cites TECHEETAH in season four and Envision Virgin Racing last season as examples. “As you can see, the cars look the same,” he says, “but they’re all different beneath the surface and under the skin of the car. There’s room for ideas and innovation, but without impacting the sporting spectacle.”