Formula E
On Tuesday in London, the all-electric racing series Formula E took the wraps off its new car. It’s certainly striking, looking way more futuristic than the series’ current machines, which to the uninitiated eye could easily be mistaken for any other open-wheel race car. What’s more, its introduction will solve one of the biggest problems Formula E has right now; those mid-race car swaps will be a thing of the past thanks to a doubling in battery capacity.
When Formula E got started at the tail end of 2014, every team used identical Spark-Renault SRT_01E race cars. Since then, the series opened up the technical regulations a bit, allowing teams to develop their own control electronics, inverters, electric motors, and gearboxes. But, keeping costs sensible, everyone still has to use the same carbon-fiber chassis, which contains the integral lithium-ion battery pack.