Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag recently gave a press conference where he outlined how the Formula E second season of the FIA Formula E Championship will develop. In a nutshell, Formula E hopes to attract three to four more manufacturers to cement the series as the electric vehicle race event while promoting its world championship status.
Formula E Aims to Capture a New Generation
Formula E is the FIA’s new global electric race series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans. The FIA is the sanctioning body behind Formula One, sports prototype and many more racing events. Formula E aims to introduce a new vision for the future of the motor industry, hoping to serve as a framework for R&D and accelerating the general interest in these electric vehicles, EV.
Formula E Second Season Plans
The interview, which was released on the Formula E website explains how the current series will morph from a single manufacturer event by opening the regulations and invite more manufacturers to come on-board. This would also give teams a chance to develop their own powertrains for the Formula E second season and battery systems for season three. A few drivers have started their own teams.
According to Agag: “In year two the teams will be able to build their own batteries and their own motors. They could build their own whole car if they wanted. But the regulations are quite strict and they don’t allow a lot of development in aerodynamics, but they do allow development in motor and battery. I would hope that we have three or four different makers of motors and batteries in the championship for year two.”
So far only a handful of manufacturers are part of the first season of Formula E. Renault makes the Spark-Renault SRT_01E chassis, built by Spark Racing Technology, but Williams makes the battery system. Italian firm Dallara builds the monocoque chassis and aerodynamically designed it. Finally, McLaren Electronics Systems provides the electric powertrain and electronics, with Hewland is behind the five-speed paddle shift sequential gearbox. Michelin provides the tires. The inaugural first season saw 10 teams, each with two drivers and four cars, some with talents straight from the Formula One world.
Alejandro Agag Boosts Formula E’s Appeal
Agag acknowledges that a world championship needs to be more than a one make series. Such a worldwide series needs to have a certain number of manufacturers. By encouraging manufacturers to develop their own powertrains and batteries, organizers hope the new technology will trickle into the everyday EV market, helping to make electric vehicles more desirable.
If you haven’t watched the very race in Beijing, please do so now. Don’t stop until the end of the race, where you will be surprised. This race ranks as one of my top five best races ever, including Fangio’s incredible German Grand Prix of 1957 where he came back after loosing minutes after a problem pit stop. We look forward to Formula E’s promising second and third seasons.
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