F1

Introducing 'Formula-E'

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  • #130012

    http://www.fia.com/en-GB/Documents/fia-formula-e.pdf

    The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world’s leading motoring organisations. It is a non?profit making association and brings together 228 national motoring and sporting organisations from 132 countries on five continents. Its member clubs represent millions of motorists and their families. In the context of an increasing environmental pressure on human activities, motorsport occupies a particular position of responsibility and has a long tradition of pioneering technological progress. The FIA holds a unique position to offer a perfect showcase for the development and the promotion of innovative solutions to ensure that mobility remains environmentally friendly.

    One of the federation’s main objectives is to work on the creation of a new high profile championship, designed to be the flagship of the FIA’s sustainable strategy: the FIA Formula E Championship (“Championship”).

    The FIA has set itself the target to launch this Championship in 2013. As such the federation calls for expressions of interest to identify a candidate interested in acting as the official and exclusive agent of the FIA for the organisation and promotion of the Championship under the Key Parameters defined in Appendix A, with a view to concluding a three year contract (2013, 2014 and 2015).

    The selection process is open to all candidates capable of conducting such a role for the organisation and the promotion of this Championship.

    “- The FIA is currently calling for expression of interest from automakers and racing organizations.

    – Teams have until October 14th to respond and will be required to sign a three-year contract.

    – The racing series, if launched, will be called Formula E.

    – Formula E’s inaugural race is tentatively scheduled for sometime in 2013.

    – Formula E racers will likely battle for electric supremacy in major cities around the world.

    – Vehicles are to be of the open-wheel design and must be 100-percent electric.

    – Minimum vehicle weight will be 780 kilograms (1,720 pounds), driver included.”

    View post on imgur.com

    Anyone else find this pretty exciting? I’m fascinated by electric motoring and technology. I’m very interested to see how this series impacts on the rest of the motorsport world.

    #177311
    raymondu999
    Participant

    Won’t be big at first unfortunately. It’s more F3-level than F1 level. I posted this on a forum a little while back.

    What I think WILL be interesting is that an electric power source would mean the cars have a flat torque curve and the curve won’t be all over the place; the car will be (almost) infinitely drivable in terms of power; which could actually benefit those who are better as a driver and have more throttle control etc; as the power will be a LOT more predictable.

    (e.g. the Honda engine back when it was still in F1 was quite “undrivable” – the drivers would be scared to go on the throttle after a corner exit as they don’t know if, in the next millimeter the pedal is pressed, it will give them 1 more horsepower or 10)

    #177312
    Dan Thorn
    Participant

    I’m looking forward to it, because it’s motor racing, but that’s as far as it goes. Electric motoring on the whole is expensive and impractical and I’d much rather the motoring world focused on a better way of powering vehicles.

    #177313
    matt90
    Participant

    Hydrogen is the way forward. I don’t understand why manufacturers are pushing electric when they’ll have to revert to fuel cells eventually anyway. They’re just after the quick and easy sales and brand promotion that comes from electric vehicles being the ‘in’ thing. Governments and manufacturers should be investing in ways to capture hydrogen and set up an infrastructure for it. If more investment was put in this and fusion then the future would look a lot more rosy.

    This seems to be the FIA pandering to the same crowd and it strikes me as fairly pointless. Also, motorsport without noise will be rather unappealing to me, and apparently it is difficult to drive aggressively without it. Still, I suppose if the world must be stuck on this I suppose having a formula to encourage some faster development isn’t a terrible thing.

    EDIT: when I refer to electric vehicles I mean those powered by batteries, as a fuel cell vehicle is also electric.

    #177314
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Why is it Jules Bianchi testing the prototype? ;)

    #177315
    Mads
    Participant

    Sounds interesting, or well it wont. It will just be a high pitched unpleasant whine.

    BUT it looks interesting, and an electric type formula racing would be good, but why use a technology that is not going to work anyway? Why not make F1 and GP2 cars run on bioethanol to keep it green, noisy and exciting and let these formula E run on hydrogen instead. As Matt90 says, full electric is just not working. It might do in hundred years, but right now it just can’t cut it.

    #177316
    Icthyes
    Participant

    It will be interesting, not sure about a world tour of street circuits, although it will be good if they can get to places they don’t see any racing at the moment. But as for saving the planet, I agree it’s a dead end. Where do they think all that electricity comes from?

    #177317
    AndrewTanner
    Participant

    Well the name certainly stinks of something likely to crop-up in a forum thread in 10 years time as a bit of a scatter-brained idea in 2011.

    I’m really not one to buy into environmental credentials for the sake of the planet but nevertheless it will be interesting to see how much this develops.

    Will also be interesting to see how the F1 paddock respond to this. I’m sure there will be plenty of pressure for them to do so.

    #177318
    Zadak
    Member

    As Zadak once said…

    I LOVE electric power. This could be really cool, The absence of noise could make potential street venues more likeley to accept.

    I also think it would be best is the teams make their own cars, or the technology will go nowhere. I also LOVE the idea of a new high performance racing series where the teams make their own cars. They are too hard to come by these days.

    #177319
    deanmachine
    Participant

    This could actually have potential if the FIA doesn’t restrict it too much. Electric vehicles are almost definitely the future, just not with regular batteries powering them.

    It could be a good development method for other types of fuel cells, although endurance racing would probably help more so.

    #177320
    matt90
    Participant

    That’s a point, endurance should traditionally be a better test-bed for road-relevant technologies. However, starting with short races is the best way to gain interest and is simpler for manufacturers than having to throw their technology straight into long races.

    I’ve revised my judgement a bit. If they use fuel cells then this can only be a good thing. If they use batteries, then this is a complete waste of their time and attention.

    #177321
    beneboy
    Participant

    matt90 “Also, motorsport without noise will be rather unappealing to me, and apparently it is difficult to drive aggressively without it.”

    I must disagree with that mate; the TTXGP is amazing to watch and the lack of engine noise takes nothing away from the racing, nor does it appear to prevent the riders from riding aggressively.

    The series has only been running for a couple of years at the Isle of Man TT but the bikes have improved massively already and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the TTXGP bikes are lapping at the same speed as the Superbikes within the next ten years. They’re already hitting 140 mph and an average lap speed of just under 100 mph; which is pretty much the same speed that many people have been running at the Manx GP over the last couple of weeks on normal petrol bikes.

    I don’t think electric cars are the best option for developing the technology just yet, the technology probably needs a couple more years of development, but I think it’s a great development for motorbikes that has the potential to provide some very good road going technology and some exciting racing.

    2010 TTX

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6dCR5Eht5M&feature=related

    2011 TTX

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVp3FK4-mDs

    #177322
    matt90
    Participant

    Fair enough. I’m just going off an article I read about the new Nissan Leaf Nismo race car. Admittedly the driver was a journalist rather than a professional race driver, but he said the lack of a soundtrack made it difficult to judge your speed and lead to more frequent lapses in concentration (missing apexes etc).

    I don’t doubt (especially in things as light as bikes) that the potential is there for the racing to be fast and of a high quality, I just think that for me personally the lack of an engine-note takes away one element I enjoy about motorsport, and I wouldn’t be inclined to watch a series without it, except as a novelty. There is something cool about the bike whirring past, but it wouldn’t interest me as much.

    #177323
    Icthyes
    Participant

    This could actually have potential

    Oh dear, I must be sad to have spotted the unintended pun in that one…

    #177324
    matt90
    Participant

    haha wish I’d spotted that!

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