Photo: BMW
At the end of this week, the new season of the Formula E kicks off in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. It is the fifth consecutive year the competition is held, and the first to see lined up on the starting grid such a big number of manufacturer-sanctioned teams.
Among the many to race for the first time in the series is BMW, which will take part as part of the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team. To get ready for the team’s first race on December 15, the German carmaker decided to release a few details on the electric drivetrain which will power the BMW iFE.18 racer.
In Formula E, all the participants have to use the same battery, but each team is allowed to fit in its own drivetrain.
BMW says work on its unit started back in early 2017 and at the same location where the next generation of BMW i series drives are made. By the middle of that year, the first concepts of the drivetrain were ready. Work on pairing the drivetrain with the chassis began in 2018.
Called Racing eDrive01, the drivetrain comprises the electric motor, cooling system, and inverter. The motor is housed in an aluminum casing, while the use of high thermal conductivity materials will ensure optimum temperature for the engine.
As is the case with all other cars that race in Formula E, BMW’s racer uses McLaren lithium-ion batteries, with a capacity of 52 kWh and a 45-minutes recharging time.
BMW did not announce the specifications for its electric drivetrain, but to give you an idea of what they are likely to be we’ll tell you Audi’s FE05 racer, for instance, can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 3.1 seconds (0 to 62 mph), en route to a top speed of 240 kph (150 mph).
Back to BMW, its electric racing goals will be pursued on the tracks by drivers António Félix da Costa and Alexander Sims.
In Formula E, all the participants have to use the same battery, but each team is allowed to fit in its own drivetrain.
BMW says work on its unit started back in early 2017 and at the same location where the next generation of BMW i series drives are made. By the middle of that year, the first concepts of the drivetrain were ready. Work on pairing the drivetrain with the chassis began in 2018.
Called Racing eDrive01, the drivetrain comprises the electric motor, cooling system, and inverter. The motor is housed in an aluminum casing, while the use of high thermal conductivity materials will ensure optimum temperature for the engine.
As is the case with all other cars that race in Formula E, BMW’s racer uses McLaren lithium-ion batteries, with a capacity of 52 kWh and a 45-minutes recharging time.
BMW did not announce the specifications for its electric drivetrain, but to give you an idea of what they are likely to be we’ll tell you Audi’s FE05 racer, for instance, can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 3.1 seconds (0 to 62 mph), en route to a top speed of 240 kph (150 mph).
Back to BMW, its electric racing goals will be pursued on the tracks by drivers António Félix da Costa and Alexander Sims.
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