Photo: Formula E
In the eyes of diehard motorsport fans, the biggest drawback of Formula E will always be the lack of a gasoline-powered engine yelling its heart out on the track, but that's one thing that's definitely not going to change.
Those who grew to enjoy the silence, however, still had one big issue with the series: the mid-race swaps. Drivers were forced to jump from one car into another as the battery of their first single-seater was depleted with plenty of laps still to go.
Seeing grown men jump out of their vehicles and rush toward the new ones was kind of ridiculous and turned the competition into a bit of biathlon by including a very short running session. It wasn't harming just the artistic impression, though, but also the flow and rhythm of the races.
But that was all the battery technology at that time could offer. Starting with the fifth season, though, the Formula E is getting a new car that's going to change a lot about the competition, including the dreaded vehicle swap.
Introduced today via a set of digital images, the Gen2 single-seater is an important departure from the old model. It looks as different as one single-seater can look from another, employing the halo safety cage for the driver and completely new aerodynamic features.
It gets a lower, pointier nose, completely covered wheels (both front and rear), very weird-looking rear wings and the most massive air diffuser for a distinctively unapologetic look. This car means business.
The battery is going to be produced by McLaren Applied Technologies and, according to the competition's CEO, Alejandro Agag, it will give it twice the energy storage capacity and twice the range of the old model.
"When we started Formula E, our goal was to break the mold and challenge the status quo - bringing a revolution to motorsport," he said, quoted by MotorSport.com. "This next generation car represents that revolution. [...] Together with the FIA, we've achieved a great milestone with the introduction of this car and I can't wait to see it on track."
The car will have its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, meaning there's still some time left until we can actually see it have a go at one of Formula E's street circuits, but by the looks of it, it's going to be worth the wait.
Seeing grown men jump out of their vehicles and rush toward the new ones was kind of ridiculous and turned the competition into a bit of biathlon by including a very short running session. It wasn't harming just the artistic impression, though, but also the flow and rhythm of the races.
But that was all the battery technology at that time could offer. Starting with the fifth season, though, the Formula E is getting a new car that's going to change a lot about the competition, including the dreaded vehicle swap.
Introduced today via a set of digital images, the Gen2 single-seater is an important departure from the old model. It looks as different as one single-seater can look from another, employing the halo safety cage for the driver and completely new aerodynamic features.
It gets a lower, pointier nose, completely covered wheels (both front and rear), very weird-looking rear wings and the most massive air diffuser for a distinctively unapologetic look. This car means business.
The battery is going to be produced by McLaren Applied Technologies and, according to the competition's CEO, Alejandro Agag, it will give it twice the energy storage capacity and twice the range of the old model.
"When we started Formula E, our goal was to break the mold and challenge the status quo - bringing a revolution to motorsport," he said, quoted by MotorSport.com. "This next generation car represents that revolution. [...] Together with the FIA, we've achieved a great milestone with the introduction of this car and I can't wait to see it on track."
The car will have its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, meaning there's still some time left until we can actually see it have a go at one of Formula E's street circuits, but by the looks of it, it's going to be worth the wait.
Kapow!! ¥ ¡ ‘Straight outta Gotham’ ‡ #Gen2 #FIA #ABBFormulaE pic.twitter.com/XlyBQUEBLR
— ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) January 30, 2018
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