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Formula E's next-generation cars get their first concept shots
The all-electric Formula E race series is set to make some high-profile moves this season. With a big race in Brooklyn and at least one major entrant ditching the fossil-fueled Le Mans races, electric racing is gaining more and more credibility as the sport progresses. To keep the vehicles at the center of it all progressing as well, Spark Racing Technologies has unveiled its plans for next season's official Formula E cars.
Formula E details Spark-Renault's SRT_01E electric race car
If you plan to watch the inaugural Formula E season, you'll want to get used to the race car shown above -- you'll see a lot of it. That's the just-unveiled Spark-Renault SRT_01E, the official electric vehicle that all 10 Formula E teams will use next year. The car melds a Spark Racing Technology design with a McLaren-sourced, 270BHP equivalent motor based on that of the P1 supercar. Williams supplies the batteries, while Renault is responsible for tying all the systems together. As you'd imagine, this first-generation ride has its limitations; drivers will have to swap cars in the middle of an hour-long race, for example. Still, the FIA is quick to remind us that the SRT_01E won't last beyond the 2014 season. Formula E is an open championship meant to advance EV technology, and manufacturers are likely to produce faster or more efficient cars in the future.
McLaren to supply EV groundwork for Formula E cars, take pro racing electric
McLaren isn't a brand that most would associate with eco-friendly motoring. That very nearly makes it a surprise to see the supercar builder throw itself wholeheartedly into performance EVs with a new deal for Formula E racing: it's supplying all the motors, electronics and transmissions for Spark Racing Technology-made cars to be used in the pure-electric league's inaugural 2014 season. Full technical details await, but the championship's choice of noise-sensitive urban racetracks guarantees that we won't hear attempts to recreate an F1 engine's high-RPM buzz anytime soon -- we're more likely to hear the tire noise. We'll deal with any lost romanticism if it means giving Formula E, and performance EVs, a healthy dose of credibility.
