The redesigned Gen2 EVO car will make its debut in the 2020/21 Formula E racing season. Pictured is the Mouser-sponsored GEOX DRAGON car. (Source: GEOX DRAGON Team)
Formula E is the new kid on the block in the racing world, and it’s catching a lot of people by surprise, including me. Now in its sixth season, the all-electric racing championship is more exciting than ever, bringing the futuristic-looking cars to five continents.
When I went to my first Formula E race last season in Mexico City, I really didn’t know what to expect, but I had heard that the new Gen 2 cars were creating quite a buzz around the racing world. As I boarded my flight from Phoenix, I had lots of questions but not many answers about what the weekend would hold. The following day, when I arrived at the track for the first time to see the Gen 2 cars up close, I could immediately tell what all the excitement was about. The new cars are fast, cool looking, and—most importantly—fun to watch.
The 2019–2020 ABB FIA Formula E Championship marks the second season of the Gen 2 Spark SRT05e cars. These Batmobile-esque cars are bigger, faster, and a lot more powerful compared to the Gen 1 Spark-Renault SRT_01E cars. For starters, Gen 2 cars have a maximum speed of 174mph (280km/h), 34mph (55km/h) faster than what the Gen 1 car could offer. This added speed, helpful to drivers and teams, also means better and more exciting racing for the fans.
To achieve this extra speed, Formula E engineers needed to increase engine power, and they did just that. Gen 2 cars deliver a maximum power of 250kW—a 20 percent boost over the output of the Gen 1 cars. But the biggest testament to how far the series has come in such a short amount of time might be battery capacity. Gen 2 car batteries have double the range of Gen 1 batteries, a vast improvement in efficiency that also eliminated previous seasons’ mid-race car swap. Although the battery is standard across all teams, engineers and technicians can still make decisions on how to best use the power.
Roaming around the track at the ePrix in Mexico City, one of the other things I noticed was the impressive size of the new cars. Gen 2 cars are 5.16m long, 1.77m wide, and 1.05m tall. Lengthening the car was the greatest body change from Gen 1 to Gen 2 (Formula E added 160mm), but the cars also dropped 10mm in width. It’s extraordinary that something this big can go so fast solely off of a battery.
My biggest takeaway from witnessing my first Formula E race was that the cars are truly an engineering phenomenon. Formula E added power and size to a car that was already fast, proving how much work the series does to advance the electric car movement.
Formula E is already a leader in the racing world, and it seems they are just getting started. Buckle up folks, this is going to get good.
Mouser Electronics is excited to support the GEOX DRAGON Team for the 2019/20 Formula E season. Mouser is joined in this sponsorship by TTI Inc. and valued suppliers Molex and AVX Corporation. To learn more about the Formula E series, click here.
Doug Brown contributes to Mouser’s motorsports coverage and content. While he is not working, the recent graduate of Arizona State University enjoys rooting for the Sun Devils and playing golf.
