Disappointed by Formula E’s plan for its next car? Here’s an alternative
Cheaper, faster, and more powerful—a Formula E champ talks to Ars about his idea. …
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Formula E only adopted its second-generation electric race car at the beginning of last season, but the motorsport is finalizing plans for the next iteration—called Gen3—set to debut in season nine (2022/2023). The plan is to make the car more powerful and lighter, with more ability to regenerate energy under braking. It will even adopt mid-race fast-charging. All of that is an improvement on the Gen2 car, but here at Ars, we can’t help but feel that Formula E is missing an opportunity to be bolder. And we’re not alone. Lucas di Grassi—season 3’s champion—has his own idea for the direction Gen3 should take, and it’s one the EV crowd will probably like.
Formula E’s plan
Formula E’s plan for the Gen3 car is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Power is going up, with 350kW (469hp) available in qualifying, compared to the current 250kW (335hp), which will put speeds somewhere between Formula 3 and Formula 2. (Power output during the 45-minute races is capped at 300kW/402hp.) The battery is going to get considerably lighter, weighing 397lbs (180kg) compared to the current 547lbs (248kg), albeit with a slight reduction in capacity to 51kWh.
The battery will be able to charge at 600kW, more than twice the power of even the best EVs on sale today. That will enable mid-race fast charging, which will
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