As Formula E’s third season kicks off, car companies rush to get involved

Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have all announced Formula E plans.

Read the whole story

 

[Wickwick]

Gas-powered cars refuel so it's not a big deal that the car can't make the whole circuit on a single battery but I'd love to see some recharging built into the cars. I'm not sure how one could do it - perhaps long inductive charging strips on the straightaways? That's probably impractical due to using converted road courses.

 

[sep332]

Will the races still require pit stops, say for new tires? I think choosing the timing of pit stops is a tactical decision that I'd miss from a race.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Mercedes-Benz announced that it, too, will enter Formula E in the 2018/2019 season

Maybe Hamilton should transition to Mercedes' Formula E. With no ICE, perhaps his cars would finally stop bursting into flames?

 

[colinstu]

sep332[/url]":e5hxmbid]Will the races still require pit stops, say for new tires? I think choosing the timing of pit stops is a tactical decision that I'd miss from a race.

Instead of recharging or refueling, just yank out the whole battery pack from the rear and slide in a new one? Or while the car is lifted for tire removal, slide the batteries underneath the car?

 

[Dr Gitlin]

colinstu[/url]":1a7jhtgd]

sep332[/url]":1a7jhtgd]Will the races still require pit stops, say for new tires? I think choosing the timing of pit stops is a tactical decision that I'd miss from a race.

Instead of recharging or refueling, just yank out the whole battery pack from the rear and slide in a new one? Or while the car is lifted for tire removal, slide the batteries underneath the car?

I addressed this in the article. The battery and its safety cell are integrated into the carbon tub of the car and can't be removed. A hot-swappable solution would theoretically have been possible (until the design stage was signed off) but it would add even more weight to an already heavy car.

 

[punksmurph]

I have been watching from the start, it is some of the best racing on TV and it is hands down the best Formula racing in the world right now. I am glad to see more support, just sad I don't have a home race anymore with Long Beach off the calendar. Can't wait to see what BMW, MB, and Jag can bring to the series.

 

[loquacio]

chipmunkofdoom2[/url]":3p8hyg8j]

Mercedes-Benz announced that it, too, will enter Formula E in the 2018/2019 season

Maybe Hamilton should transition to Mercedes' Formula E. With no ICE, perhaps his cars would finally stop bursting into flames?

I suppose spewing molten lithium out the back of the car is one way to discourage competitors from passing.

 

[Wart]

I went to both of the Long Beach races and had a great time. Too bad they won't be there again this season. Not sure if I'll be able to make it to New York in July.

sep332[/url]":39tgskrq]Will the races still require pit stops, say for new tires? I think choosing the timing of pit stops is a tactical decision that I'd miss from a race.

In the current format the only required pit stop is the car swap in the middle of the race. Formula E doesn't have a choice of tires the way F1 does. In fact they only have one tire, with tread, for use in both wet and dry conditions. As part of the series emphasis on sustainability they are deliberately trying to reduce the number of tires needed. Tire supplier Michelin has stated their goal is to produce a tire that can last not only the entire race, but the entire SEASON. Better not flat-spot them!

 

[Totally Radical Liberal]

Wart[/url]":3s6z8kdr]I went to both of the Long Beach races and had a great time. Too bad they won't be there again this season. Not sure if I'll be able to make it to New York in July.

sep332[/url]":3s6z8kdr]Will the races still require pit stops, say for new tires? I think choosing the timing of pit stops is a tactical decision that I'd miss from a race.

In the current format the only required pit stop is the car swap in the middle of the race. Formula E doesn't have a choice of tires the way F1 does. In fact they only have one tire, with tread, for use in both wet and dry conditions. As part of the series emphasis on sustainability they are deliberately trying to reduce the number of tires needed. Tire supplier Michelin has stated their goal is to produce a tire that can last not only the entire race, but the entire SEASON. Better not flat-spot them!

Given what I've done to long-wear tires on the track in a street car, no. Just no.

A whole race Is a nice and doable target, though. Once there's a battery that'll last.

 

[ScifiGeek]

punksmurph[/url]":zgxbayos]I have been watching from the start, it is some of the best racing on TV and it is hands down the best Formula racing in the world right now. I am glad to see more support, just sad I don't have a home race anymore with Long Beach off the calendar. Can't wait to see what BMW, MB, and Jag can bring to the series.

I'll never watch it as long as the have reality show nonsense like Fanboost.

 

[Rabbit0864]

Just wanted to say that I-Type is one sexy looking machine.. damn!

 

[Jordan Orlando]

That first photograph is very confusing. It took me a couple of minutes to understand that there's, like, a kitchen in the background -- and that I wasn't seeing an enormous bazooka-like vertical attachment down the length of the car.

 

[Wickwick]

Jordan Orlando[/url]":3iznbl4h]That first photograph is very confusing. It took me a couple of minutes to understand that there's, like, a kitchen in the background -- and that I wasn't seeing an enormous bazooka-like vertical attachment down the length of the car.

Well, tool chests. But I agree 100% with your issue.

 

[Darkness1231]

Your initial link to "earlier this summer" actually points to this article. While the self reference is funny I suspect it was unintentional.

 

[IrishMonkee]

Jordan Orlando[/url]":1ce10soi]That first photograph is very confusing. It took me a couple of minutes to understand that there's, like, a kitchen in the background -- and that I wasn't seeing an enormous bazooka-like vertical attachment down the length of the car.

Oh man I got a good laugh out of that when I took a second look. That would be one bad ass race car! It's Megatron in Formula E mode, don't get in front of that guy. lol

edit: Also to me it's not a kitchen but a work space with a bunch of under the counter tool boxes.

 

[FrisbeeFreek]

Formula E has the potential to trickle down to lower tiers of competition because the cost, reliability, and complexity of an ICE doesn't exist. Cut some of the hyper expensive hardware (titanium and carbon fiber), and you can probably race on the weekend for $60k. I'm thinking an electric Ariel Atom.

 

[Dr Gitlin]

Darkness1231[/url]":1bbrctbg]Your initial link to "earlier this summer" actually points to this article. While the self reference is funny I suspect it was unintentional.

How odd! Should be fixed now.

 

[gbjbaanb]

Wickwick[/url]":2p77mb9t]Gas-powered cars refuel so it's not a big deal that the car can't make the whole circuit on a single battery but I'd love to see some recharging built into the cars. I'm not sure how one could do it - perhaps long inductive charging strips on the straightaways? That's probably impractical due to using converted road courses.

Frankly, that's maybe the point - if Formula-E can come up with a standard and equipment that can charge cars on the track, then they can put it in the roads and let the technology appear in road cars. Then the council can put the same thing under the bus stops or taxi ranks and we'll all be a lot better off and a lot closer to getting electric cars everywhere.

 

[Azethoth666]

gbjbaanb[/url]":9rdxni0f]

Wickwick[/url]":9rdxni0f]Gas-powered cars refuel so it's not a big deal that the car can't make the whole circuit on a single battery but I'd love to see some recharging built into the cars. I'm not sure how one could do it - perhaps long inductive charging strips on the straightaways? That's probably impractical due to using converted road courses.

Frankly, that's maybe the point - if Formula-E can come up with a standard and equipment that can charge cars on the track, then they can put it in the roads and let the technology appear in road cars. Then the council can put the same thing under the bus stops or taxi ranks and we'll all be a lot better off and a lot closer to getting electric cars everywhere.

Sounds inefficient. Maybe once solar and wind power make electricity too cheap to meter or something.

 

[icwhatudidthere]

FrisbeeFreek[/url]":2cgwxz2p]Formula E has the potential to trickle down to lower tiers of competition because the cost, reliability, and complexity of an ICE doesn't exist. Cut some of the hyper expensive hardware (titanium and carbon fiber), and you can probably race on the weekend for $60k. I'm thinking an electric Ariel Atom.

Yeah but that's replaced by cooling systems for batteries and multiple cars to finish a race or very high voltage recharging systems, not to mention energy recapture systems.

Low cost weekend racing already exists with spec Miata and things like that.

 

[nfellaby]

Seriously no UK broadcasters..? back to just watching F1 I guess

 

[isparavanje]

Azethoth666[/url]":jbmwq4hm]

gbjbaanb[/url]":jbmwq4hm]

Wickwick[/url]":jbmwq4hm]Gas-powered cars refuel so it's not a big deal that the car can't make the whole circuit on a single battery but I'd love to see some recharging built into the cars. I'm not sure how one could do it - perhaps long inductive charging strips on the straightaways? That's probably impractical due to using converted road courses.

Frankly, that's maybe the point - if Formula-E can come up with a standard and equipment that can charge cars on the track, then they can put it in the roads and let the technology appear in road cars. Then the council can put the same thing under the bus stops or taxi ranks and we'll all be a lot better off and a lot closer to getting electric cars everywhere.

Sounds inefficient. Maybe once solar and wind power make electricity too cheap to meter or something.

Near field power transfer can easily exceed 80%.

 

[Excors]

nfellaby[/url]":2g3r9sl8]Seriously no UK broadcasters..? back to just watching F1 I guess

It's being broadcast in the UK on Channel 5 (08:30 this Sunday). There's some useful schedule information here. (ITV abandoned it after two years because it was watched by approximately nobody, and declining.)

 

[DKlimax]

Jordan Orlando[/url]":kijoon6n]That first photograph is very confusing. It took me a couple of minutes to understand that there's, like, a kitchen in the background -- and that I wasn't seeing an enormous bazooka-like vertical attachment down the length of the car.

Formula E Interstate edition...

 

[pehash]

Wart[/url]":2mkv8mo8]I went to both of the Long Beach races and had a great time. Too bad they won't be there again this season. Not sure if I'll be able to make it to New York in July.

sep332[/url]":2mkv8mo8]Will the races still require pit stops, say for new tires? I think choosing the timing of pit stops is a tactical decision that I'd miss from a race.

In the current format the only required pit stop is the car swap in the middle of the race. Formula E doesn't have a choice of tires the way F1 does. In fact they only have one tire, with tread, for use in both wet and dry conditions. As part of the series emphasis on sustainability they are deliberately trying to reduce the number of tires needed. Tire supplier Michelin has stated their goal is to produce a tire that can last not only the entire race, but the entire SEASON. Better not flat-spot them!

I don't get the "emphasis on sustainability" part. You're not allowed to change tires, but you're supposed to bring 2 cars?...

 

[TobyTucker]

Jordan Orlando[/url]":25tmb4ey]That first photograph is very confusing. It took me a couple of minutes to understand that there's, like, a kitchen in the background -- and that I wasn't seeing an enormous bazooka-like vertical attachment down the length of the car.

It looks like the garage area they'd use at a race. The composition of the photo is horrible though. With matching colors used on the car and in the garage it's really hard to distinguish one from the other at a quick glance.

 

[ars diavoli]

Wart[/url]":3r79yfff]Formula E doesn't have a choice of tires the way F1 does. In fact they only have one tire, with tread, for use in both wet and dry conditions. As part of the series emphasis on sustainability they are deliberately trying to reduce the number of tires needed. Tire supplier Michelin has stated their goal is to produce a tire that can last not only the entire race, but the entire SEASON. Better not flat-spot them!

A single all-weather tyre should have come to F1 ages ago rather than those pointless grooved slicks they used to have to run.

 

[Wart]

pehash[/url]":35mc2crf]

I don't get the "emphasis on sustainability" part. You're not allowed to change tires, but you're supposed to bring 2 cars?...

Tires get used up and thrown away. Entire cars don't. Also, from the article:

last Thursday, McLaren Applied Technologies (a sister company to McLaren Racing) was picked to supply the batteries for season five (2018/2019). The deal, which lasts until 2020, will see McLaren come up with a battery that can last the entire hour-long race, putting an end to the spectacle of drivers clambering awkwardly from one car to another mid-race.

So hopefully in a couple more years one car will be able to complete the entire race nonstop.

 

[Mick76]

Williams have a removable battery ready which was proposed to Formula E. It is liquid cooled so there are two pipes to disconnect very quickly which they have achieved. Formula E hasn't gone down this path for safety reasons too early in its life.