Boosting both performance and efficiency, the Gen3 racecars showcase the promise and potential of sustainable mobility.
The far-reaching changes that herald a scintillating ninth season for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – from all-new racecars and team entries to driver seat-swaps, key rules revisions and four added race cities – start with a switch of location for the series’ opening event. On Jan. 14, Mexico City will launch the campaign that introduces the third-generation of fully electric cars, which are not just significantly faster and more powerful than preceding generations of Formula E machines but vastly more efficient as well.
The bespoke Formula E course at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez provides an ideal setting for this introduction, as it is among the fastest of the racecourses visited by the series. The 2.6-kilometer (1.6 mile) circuit of 19 turns will test the cars’ top speed, braking and grip to the limits, with its combination of long straightaways, a demanding hairpin and the famous Peraltada curve. In addition, the thin air of Mexico City, which sits at an elevation of more than 2,200 meters (7,200 feet), creates huge demands on the systems that regulate the temperatures of the battery and electronics, at the same time reducing the aerodynamic downforce so vital for traction on the sweeping turns that open and close each lap.
While Formula E has raced in Mexico City since 2016, the arrival of the Gen3 cars effectively erases much of the advantage normally conferred by prior experience. The cars’ drastically upgraded regeneration capability – 40 percent of the total energy expended in a race is expected come from regen – made possible by the addition of a 250 kW powertrain to the front axle, in addition to the 350 kW available at the rear, will mean that drivers will have to determine new braking and coasting points. Tires provided by first-year supplier Hankook that are designed to be longer-wearing than previous rubber will have a similar effect on racecraft. And rules revisions that set a specific lap count for race length, will alter the way drivers approach the race plan and the energy management strategy set by teams.
The net gain realized in the Gen3 advances, even beyond the higher top speed of 200 mph – a boost that will be appreciated by fans seated along straightaway sections of the courses – will be the potential for closer racing, more passing and a wider variety of winners.
Pre-season testing that took place in December at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, offered a snapshot of the potency of the Gen3 cars – and the unknowns that lie ahead for competitors.
Stoffel Vandoorne, the reigning ABB Formula E World Champion and an ABB Ambassador driving this year for the DS Penske team, emphasized the technology advances that come with the innovative energy recovery system of Gen3. Specifically, the addition of a drivetrain at the front
“The Gen3 car is quite different to Gen2, definitely a bigger challenge,” Vandoorne said. “There are a lot more software tricks involved, which makes more work for all of the teams.”
Lucas di Grassi, winner of the Formula E championship in Season 3 and an ABB Ambassador, sees a challenging campaign coming up – one that’s sure to thrill fans as teams come to terms with the new cars. Now driving for Mahindra, where his experience will be valuable in advancing the team’s quest for top-contender status, di Grassi explains that the increase in power output and the extended life of the new Hankook tires will take time to master.
“The car is harder to control, and traction becomes an issue because of the low grip of the tires and the high power,” said di Grassi, a two-time winner at this race. “We’re always struggling with traction.”
In Season 9 the role of ABB as the literal energizing force of the Formula E series takes another step forward in support of sustainable mobility. For the 16 rounds of the 2023 campaign, ABB graduates to the official charging partner of Formula E, responsible for replenishing the batteries of all 11 teams prior to each practice and qualifying session and most important, ahead of every race.
To accomplish this task, ABB developed new hardware that delivers DC fast charges with a compact unit that prioritizes reliable service, compact dimensions and light weight, all vital requirements for meeting the demands of the planet-straddling series. The mobile chargers, which provide charging rates up to 160 kilowatts, can service two cars simultaneously, reducing the amount of support gear that must travel with the cars between races.
Mexico’s role in the ascent of e-mobility toward dominance in the world’s transportation preferences is significant. Long a major manufacturing site for the world’s automakers, it is increasingly a location for new electric vehicle plants. Both Ford Motor Company and General Motors have major production commitments in the country, and other international carmakers have announced plans to bring EV plants to the country to take advantage of recent government incentives.
Following rounds 2 and 3 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 27-28, a string of new locations for the next three races expands the global footprint of the Formula E World Championship to Hyderabad, India; Cape Town, South Africa; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. In June, the United States stop of the 2023 campaign shifts west, to Portland, Oregon from its New York City location of recent years.
