Electric racing will begin its conquest for world domination next year and this will be its harbinger.
Renault used the Frankfurt Motor Show as an opportunity to show off its competitor in the FIA Formula E Championship, which set to start next season. The SRT_01E was designed and built in conjunction with Spark Racing Technology and will be the only model used by each of the ten two car teams. Ideally this would only be the case for the first season, since Formula E wants to get other manufacturers involved.
The aluminum and carbon fiber monocoque chassis was produced by Dallara, while McLaren Electronic Systems supplied the electric motor, gearbox and other electronics. Williams Advanced Engineering takes care of the battery supply and battery management systems. You can’t help but hope that the involvement from top F1 teams will help Formula E’s long term success.
The electric motor produces 268 horsepower. The tires, developed by Michelin, are treaded and mounted on 18 inch wheels and are to be used in both wet and dry conditions.
It should be interesting to see how Formula works out. With ten races currently planned for next season in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, it looks like a very ambitious series.
Gallery
