Formula E is a great testing ground for developments that will improve electric cars for the average road user for years to come. Which all comes together in the Third Generation of technology “GEN3” being readied for the 2022-2023 Formula E season, its ninth series, which will make the cars more powerful – at World Championship Series level – and potentially race longer.
So what’s more in GEN3 that is so exciting? Primarily the batteries will be much lighter and the cars too and a lot of very high-tech things are happening to recapture energy as the cars brake.
In the first four series of Formula E, the batteries could not last the full length of the race.
Now they do and much better is yet to come!
Refueling PitStop Drama
Do you remember the refueling pit stops in Formula 1. They provided extra drama to the race.
Formula E is planning the same for its “GEN3” races. This means a 30 second pit-stop mid-race with a lighting-fast recharge. The action is going to be riveting. The technology is being pushed to the limit to do this – which is great news for all us road users. We will eventually end up with batteries that take us further and can be charged faster and faster.
⚡️?️? Very exciting news: We are proud to announce that we will provide the charging technology for the #Gen3 cars in the #ABB @FIAFormulaE World Championship – the first all-electric global race series! ?
Explore it here ? https://t.co/RpcggBeAfC #ABBFormulaE #EVCharging pic.twitter.com/AwqbMZjJQ4— ABB (@ABBgroupnews) July 16, 2020
This makes all the difference in helping electric cars be the dominant vehicle on the roads – and a boost for ecology and sustainability.
ABB one of the big Formula E sponsors will provide the charging technology for the Gen3 cars in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – the first all-electric global race series.
“The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is more than a race – it is our test-bed for innovative electromobility technologies, driving development to the production line of electric vehicles and ultimately contributing to a cleaner environment for all,” ABB are emphasizing.
Formula E Series Founder and Chairman Alejandro Agag is equally excited: “Since ABB joined as the FIA Formula E Championship’s title partner in Season 4, they have worked closely with us to develop the series as a proving ground for race-to-road technology development that promotes our founding purpose of accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles to counteract climate change.”
Potentially longer than 45 minute races with the advent of the Gen3, more power, super-rapid charging, pitstops mid-race (“refueling/recharging”) with engineers running with cables and recharging “guns”. This is just the type of innovation and drama that will move the sport forward and attract the type of audiences that are also riveted to Formula 1.
And the intriguing question is what sort of relationship might evolve between Formula 1 and Formula E in future? While this evolution happens and technology hurdles are blasted away, cleaner transport, sustainability and the future of the climate are all winners – as are we spectators.
