So, what’s inside a Formula E car?
Formula E, the fully electric motor racing formula, is often decried for being slower than Formula 1 and IndyCar and a high pitched whirring sound instead of the deep growl of a combustion engine. It has certain quirks, like drivers changing cars mid race (due to battery capacity) and a social media driven “Fan Boost” feature, which allows fans to give their favourite driver more power. However the series has some very close and entertaining racing, so what is actually going on inside the cars.
Firstly the series uses a standard chassis which teams are able to adjust to their various aerodynamic requirements. Taking up the majority of the space is the standardised battery pack, provided by Williams Motorsport and weighs in at 200kg. The other components of the drive train, the inverter (for converting from DC to AC power), motor and transmission are developed by the individual teams. This has resulted in some very different design approaches across the grid with each team trying to find a competitive advantage.
Some teams have gone for a traditional 4 or 5 speed gearbox, others with a two speed, manual gearshift setup, which Renault used to great effect last season. A couple of teams are even using a single gear dual motor approach that allows continuous acceleration from a standing start to top speed without shifting. The downside of this approach is the extra weight from the larger motors required to achieve a sufficient level of torque.
Over the coming seasons the formula is looking to improve battery capacity, so cars can run a full race distance instead of drivers switching midway. Due to the structural position within the chassis, swapping out the battery mid race isn’t an option, so this would be an important upgrade. Still, higher peak power output (currently maxing out at 200kw including Fan Boost) is needed for the faster speeds most motorsport fans have become used to.
Overshadowing this all is the relatively quiet, high pitched noise, the cars make. This is a problem for many regular racing fans, but I feel as soon as the cars are able to run at a higher speed this wont be as much of an issue. The series has a long way to go, but considering it is only in its third season the rate of development has been astounding and for anyone with an interest in racing, design or technology, its definitely worth keeping tabs on.
