ABB FIA Formula E Championship Archives

BMW i Andretti Motorsport ready for Season 6 of Formula E with the BMW iFE.20

Season 6 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship sees the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team joining, for the second season, in the competition for all-electric single-seaters. Much preparation has gone on both on the racetrack and in the simulator, with extensive analysed of the findings from the first season.

“In our maiden season, with a win, two pole positions and several podiums, we showed that we are able to bring home top results in Formula E. However, we know that the performance level is extremely high and is likely to rise. But in this competitive environment, our aspiration must be to continue improving in our second season and be able to be among the front-runners battling for the top positions,” said BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt.

“Irrespective of the results, we want to show just how dynamic and emotive electric racing can be, through good and exciting races. And away from the racetrack we will be present with BMW i. We will continue to use Formula E as a platform to present innovations in electric mobility, autonomous driving and other BMW Group cutting-edge fields to the general public,” he added.

Highlighting the technology transfer between racing and production, Marquardt said that the technology transfer between racing and series production remains a central pillar of BMW’s involvement in Formula E. “Our objective for the works entry for Season 5 was to establish an efficient technology cycle between BMW i Motorsport and BMW i, and we were very successful. BMW i engineers are already benefitting enormously from the technological insights we are getting from the extreme use case of Formula E as they develop future production model engines. We will continue this close collaboration next season, for the benefit of both parties,” he said.

The BMW iFE.20
Like its predecessor, the BMW iFE.20 also has a uniform chassis as stipulated by Formula E regulations. BMW expertise remains primarily in the core of the car, the enhanced drivetrain. The characteristic of the BMW Racing eDrive02 was revised based on the detailed information on the individual racetracks that the team gathered in their maiden season, and modified to suit the specific challenges of Formula E races. The changes affect the E-motor and the inverter.

The main goal of the modifications is to improve the efficiency of the drivetrain. The same glycol as is used in production vehicles is now also used for its water circulation system. The BMW i Motorsport engineers also optimised the software that calculates energy management strategies, and the simulator in Munich. The rear-end structure was also reworked, to provide more flexibility for the set-up.

When working on the BMW Racing eDrive02, the BMW Motorsport engineers cooperated intensely and closely with their colleagues in BMW i production development. The iFE.20 serves as a tech lab for road car production. The knowledge gained by BMW i Motorsport engineers in the tough competitive environment of Formula E flows straight back into the development of future E-drives for BMW production vehicles. Motor racing makes it possible to test new materials, technologies and methods in extreme conditions and without having to take into consideration restrictive factors.

From the exterior, the slightly modified design of the iFE.20 is evident. It maintains some of the elements of its predecessor, including the blue and white corners which intersect in the style of the BMW logo. The view from above has also been accentuated which, considering the usually elevated seating position of spectators at Formula E races, plays a particularly important role. On top of this is the asymmetric layout, which provides maximum visibility at race speed. The striking changes also include the non-reflective, matt black cockpit element, which has been extended to the whole driver environment. It puts even more focus on the driver and highlights his pivotal role in Formula E.

The BMW logo pattern emphasised in its predecessor has been given a slightly more abstract interpretation for the iFE.20. In return, there is greater accentuation of the progression of colour from blue to violet, the natural colours of electricity. Also, the BMW i Motorsport ‘Spirit Marks’ established during the course of last season are now also reflected in the design of the cars.

BMW i Andretti Motorsports Team — *The BMW iFE.18 in action at the New York round of Formula E Season 5 in July this year.*

Audi’s new all-electric Formula E racing car previewed before public unveiling

When the next Formula E season starts in November, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler drivers Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi will pilot a new e-tron FE06 all-electric racing car with a spectacular new look. The car will be unveiled publicly for the first time at the Frankfurt International Motorshow next week but Audi is giving a preview of its new colours and evolutionary technology. Its first race will be in Ad Diriyah (Saudi Arabia) on November 22/23.

With plenty of visible carbonfibre and a conspicuously bright orange livery to accentuate the lines across the whole car, the e-tron FE06 clearly appears even more aggressive than its predecessor in Abt and di Grassi achieved the runner-up position in the championship during last season.

“Compliments to the design team at Audi,” said Abt, the most successful German Formula E driver. “I’ve been keeping track of the visual development over the last few weeks and think the result is brilliant – the car simply looks aggressive and fast.”

New appearance but continuity in all other respects
While Audi pursued new paths with the design, including the selection of the orange that takes cues from the colour palette in which the road-going Audi e-tron was previously presented, the team relies on continuity in all other respects.

A new partner of the team is SONAX, a manufacturer of carcare products which has been closely linked to motorsport for decades and also supported Abt during his still young career. “We’re delighted that a new chapter is being opened in our long-standing partnership with ABT and that we’ll be able to present ourselves as a partner of the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team in Formula E in the future. The fascinating environment of the series provides our brand with great prospects of reaching even more potential customers worldwide,” said SONAX Head of Marketing, Franz Fischer.

The schedule before the first race is tight. Following the intensive private testing phase in Germany and Europe and the preparation of the two racing cars during the next few weeks, the team will travel to Valencia in the middle of October for the official 3-day Formula E pre-season test for all of the teams and drivers. At the beginning of November, the cars and equipment will then be loaded to be air-freighted to Ad Diriyah.

Porsche 99X Electric ready for its first Formula E season

With the international premiere of the Porsche 99X Electric, Porsche has reached another milestone on the way to the works entry in the 2019/2020 season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Porsche’s regular drivers Neel Jani and Andre Lotterer played an active role in the car presentation with videogamers from around the world. They were guided through the Porsche Digital GmbH premises in Ludwigsburg by specific instructions from the gaming community, first to find the Porsche 99X Electric and then to unveil it.

“It was a unique car presentation unlike anything the motorsport world has ever experienced before. It was great fun joining the gamers’ search for the Porsche 99X Electric both virtually and in real life at the same time. It is great that Porsche is breaking new ground and involving the young, digital generation,” said Jani.

“A different kind of car premiere; I really enjoyed the fact that Neel and I acted as live players. It is fantastic that we are communicating with the digital target audience as equals and that they were able to be part of it,” added Lotterer.

Significance of 9 and X
In terms of the design, the traditional Porsche motorsport colours were chosen for the Formula E racing car. From a bird’s-eye perspective, the Porsche emblem is clearly visible around the Halo system. As usual, the naming format is three digits which represent Porsche racing cars and 2-door sportscars.

The highest number, 9, was used twice, to re-emphasise the importance of the Formula E project for Porsche, while the X stands for the forward-looking approach and prototype racing. The 99X Electric also serves as a development platform for future fully electric production models.

Porsche E-Performance Powertrain
The development of the Porsche powertrain, referred to as the ‘Porsche E-Performance Powertrain’, has played a central role from the start. The Formula E regulations stipulate a standardised chassis and a standard battery, while the drive technologies are developed by the manufacturers. The engineers were able to make use of their LMP1 experience when developing the Porsche Formula E powertrain. With the hybrid technology, the foundations were laid for electric mobility.

“In hindsight, we laid the foundations for Porsche’s future involvement in Formula E during the LMP1 project. We used the insights gained during that time in the development of the Porsche Formula E powertrain. We focused on building a highly effective powertrain with the highest level of efficiency,” said Malte Huneke, Technical Project Leader Formula E.

The 800-volt technology used in Formula E is also used in the Taycan, Porsche’s first volume-produced fully electric sportscar. In addition, energy management and efficiency are the keys to success in both Formula E and series production. This is where the permanent synchronous motor comes into play which has an important role in optimising the drive concept.

TAG Heuer as Title and Timing Partner
TAG Heuer, the Swiss manufacturer of luxury watches, is the Title and Timing Partner of the Porsche Formula E Team, which will contest Season 6 of the single-seater all-electric championship under the name ‘TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’.

By entering Formula E, Porsche is also breaking new ground from a commercial perspective. This environment addresses a young, different-minded and digitally-oriented target audience. This sphere allows the company to explore what customers expect from vehicles and mobility in general both now and in the future, also in terms of products and services.

Return to single-seater racing
It’s been more than 30 years since Porsche last participated in single-seater racing. Entering Formula E and the accompanying restructuring of the motorsport involvement can be derived from the 2025 Porsche strategy. In addition to traditional GT road-going sportscars, fully electric sportscars are also firmly anchored in the strategy. Both will be reflected in Porsche’s involvement in motorsports in the years to come.

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