Paris ePrix: The New Generation of Formula E!

He was last seen in New York on a triumph. Champion of the fourth season on July 15, 2018, the very day of France’s victory in the FIFA World Cup, Jean-Eric Vergne has since defended his title in a fifth season full of changes. With 48 hours to go before the Paris ePrix this Saturday, which we will cover from the paddock, it’s high time to review the latest updates, starting with the race cars!

Increasingly sexy and fast cars!

The transformation is radical for the electric single-seaters: goodbye to the first generation from 2014-2018… welcome to Gen 2! Presented to the public at the end of the previous season, the new model does not lack character. Wheel fairings, the disappearance of the rear wing, the introduction of the halo (like in Formula 1), the new Formula E has taken a 180-degree turn. Taste and colors, as they say, but undeniably, this model offers a rather successful futuristic look, with hints of a Batmobile. Yes, the Gen 2 impresses, being 16 cm longer than the first generation.

But it’s not just the look that has changed. The new Formula E is supercharged compared to its predecessor, with an increased power of 50 kilowatts (or 50,000 watts). Now, the maximum power is 250 kilowatts (kW, or 335 horsepower), available for free practice and qualifying sessions. In race mode, full power increases from 180 kW to 200 kW. The result? The Gen 2 goes from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds… and can reach a top speed of 280 km/h. Enough to give some thrills to the drivers on urban circuits, still just as narrow!

As before, Formula E remains a unique series for aerodynamics: all 11 participating teams adhere to the same bodywork, manufactured by Spark Racing Technology, a French company dedicated to Formula E. The same goes for the standardized front wings and the chassis, made by Dallara. The development race is actually played out in the development of the car’s internal devices: electric motor, inverter, gearbox, and cooling system.

And besides the revamped appearance of the cars, the most notable change for the fifth season is under the hood: the cars are equipped with an entirely new battery with almost double the capacity. In short, drivers no longer have to pit mid-race to change cars!

Another major innovation: more spectacular braking, enabled by the new Brake By Wire system. An identical device to that used in F1, placed on the rear wheels of Formula 2 single-seaters, allowing energy recovery. However, it remains complementary to the classic hydraulic braking of a single-seater: the Brake By Wire takes over mid-race when the electric batteries start to discharge.

Races that are ever faster… and more spectacular!

Faster, the speed of the new Formula E cars is manifested by supersonic lap times, within the context of the discipline, compared to the first-generation cars. The following table provides convincing evidence, showing the gaps between the pole positions of the 2018-2019 season (current) and those of the 2017-2018 season (previous). As a reference, the three circuits present during these two championships.

Moreover, the interest in the qualifications has increased. Gone are the random draws for the distribution of the four groups: now the distribution is done solely by reversing the current drivers’ championship standings. In other words, the leaders now start first, on a dirtier track, which complicates their progress.

In racing, the action is always on point, with around thirty overtakes per ePrix. The cars are slightly wider and more efficient, but the Formula E organization has found a solution with the introduction of an attack mode, which temporarily increases power levels from 220 kW to 225 kW for a short period.

To activate it, drivers take the outside of the turn’s trajectory, defined just before the race. The activation zone is made visible on the track for the (tele)viewers, while the power modes on each car are indicated with different colors via an LED lighting system, directly on the protective halo!

Artifice present since the first season, Formula E has also retained its Fan Boost. The principle remains the same: five drivers receive an additional 30 kW boost for five seconds during the second half of the race, through fan votes on social media and the discipline’s website.

As a result, the suspense is constantly renewed: now contested over 45 minutes (+ 1 lap), races are sometimes decided in the final lap, or even in the very last straight, as seen in the Mexico ePrix, won by Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler), right under the nose of Pascal Wehrlein, the former Sauber driver who joined the Mahindra team at the beginning of the current season. We will return to the first races in an upcoming article…