Formula E Gen3 inspired by fighter jet "delta wing" ready to take to the streets in Season 9
While Season 8 of the FIA Formula E World Championship is set to get underway in January 2022, the series provided a glimpse into the future, with a first look at its “Gen 3” car. It will debut in Season 9 and promises to be the series’ “fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient racing car ever”.
The Gen 3 was revealed exclusively to a select group comprising Formula E manufacturers, teams, drivers, and partners in Valencia, Spain, where pre-season testing for Formula E Season 8 is currently ongoing.
At the launch, FIA President Jean Todt described the Formula E Gen 3 as:
“A machine created at the intersection of high performance, efficiency and sustainability.”
In Valencia 🇪🇸 tonight for the Formula E Gen 3 reveal. Moving to find the commitment to create @FIAFormulaE signed with Alejandro Agag and @Antonio_Tajani on the table of a Parisian restaurant 10 years ago! Today this discipline is a @FIA World Championship
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While the car wasn’t revealed in its entirety, a detailed feature-list was released by Formula E and the FIA.
Formula E Gen 3 set to be "world's most efficient racing car"
Based on the series’ officially-listed technical features, the Formula E Gen 3 car is set to be a significant improvement on its predecessor in terms of efficiency and performance:
• The world’s most efficient racing car – at least 40% of the energy used within a race will be produced by regenerative braking during the race.
• The first formula car with both front and rear powertrains: a new front powertrain adds 250kW to the 350kW at the rear, more than doubling the regenerative capability of the current Gen2 to a total of 600kW.
• The first formula car that will not feature rear hydraulic brakes due to the addition of the front powertrain and its regenerative capability.
• An electric motor delivering up to 350kw of power (470BHP), capable of a top speed of 200mph (320 km/h), with a power-to-weight ratio that is twice as efficient as an equivalent 470BHP internal combustion engine (ICE).
• Lighter and smaller than the Gen2 to enable faster, more agile wheel-to-wheel racing.
Sustainability a major focus with Formula E Gen 3
As with the last two generations, sustainability has been one of the deciding factors behind the design of the new car. As per the series’ press release, the Gen 3 has been designed with:
"A clear path towards second life and end of life for all tires, broken parts and battery cells."
Here’s how the Formula E Gen 3 hopes to continue building on the last two generations from a sustainability point of view:
· The Gen3 will be net-zero carbon, maintaining the Championship’s status as the first sport to be certified as net-zero carbon since inception.
· All broken carbon fiber parts will be recycled by an innovative process from the aviation and aerospace industry into new fibers reusable for other applications.
· A pioneering process will deliver 26% sustainable materials into the composition of tires.
· The Gen3 is powered by electric motors that are substantially more efficient than ICEs as they can convert over 90% of the electrical energy into mechanical energy (motion) compared to approx. 40% in high efficiency ICEs.
· All suppliers are held to strict sustainability KPIs, notably achieving FIA 3* Environmental Accreditation certification by Season 9.
Formula E teams will receive the Gen 3 cars around Spring 2022, following which they will be able to commence testing and development work around it. Meanwhile, Season 8 will continue alongside until August 2022.
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Meanwhile, Formula E’s Season 8 will get underway on January 28, 2022 in Diriyah, South Africa and end in Seoul, Korea on August 14, 2022 after a total of 16 races. Nyck de Vries and Mercedes-EQ will be looking to defend their drivers’ and teams’ championships respectively.