Formula E: electric racing series to end season in London

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – @BednarChuck

Formula E, the racing series that exclusively features electric vehicles, has added an additional race to its inaugural season, which will now conclude on June 28 in London’s Battersea Park.

According to The Verge, the newly added race will be part of a doubleheader that will be held during the last weekend of June. That announcement came after London’s Wandsworth Council gave permission for FIA (the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), Formula E’s governing body, to build a 15-turn, 1.8-mile temporary circuit at the 200-acre site.

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The course will be nearly rectangular in shape and will be set up on the outskirts of the park on the banks of the River Thames, the website added. In addition to straightaways and curves, it will feature several chicanes and braking zones, and like the other Formula E races held this year, the event will take place on a street course that is shorter than traditional racing tracks.

“Having two races in London – the final two of the season – was an option we discussed at length with Wandsworth Council,” Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag told BBC News, “and means that London could well be where the inaugural champion is crowned, making it a fantastic spectacle for the city and a great platform to showcase sustainable mobility and clean energy.”

“We will now begin preparations for bringing urban electric racing to London, but of course that means working closely with all parties and local residents’ groups to ensure that we remain sympathetic to all park users,” he added.

Entirely electric

Formula E is the first major motorsport to be run entirely on electric engines, meaning that the traditional roar of the engine is replaced by a less-thrilling high-pitched whine. In many ways, it has also been a testing ground for elective vehicles, and has been focused on the development of improved battery technology. Typically, one battery can last about 25 to 30 minutes.

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However, one unique feature of the series is that when a battery is depleted (which usually occurs halfway through the race), it is not charged or replaced, according to The Verge. Rather, the driver simply switches to a second vehicle and drives it until the checked flag. Formula E also allows fans to vote online to give their favorite drivers a temporary boost in horsepower.

“The scheduling change is far from the first that Formula E has endured in its debut season,” the website said. “Earlier this month, a race in Moscow was announced for the first week of June, replacing Rio de Janeiro on the schedule. That race, along with a proposed event in Hong Kong, was called off due to hesitance from the local governments.”

The season, which kicked off in spectacular fashion in Beijing, China last year, has also held events in Malaysia, Uruguay and Argentina, according to Engadget. Several more events have been scheduled to take place before the season-ending doubleheader, but those races will mark the last time that teams will be forced to race in identical, unmodified cars.

“For the next championship, however, teams are allowed to modify their vehicles, using different batteries and motors to hopefully give them an edge over their competition,” the website explained. “The teams are under strict instructions not to focus on improving aerodynamics and the like, though, as that would defeat one of the main aims of Formula E: to develop new technologies that can quickly trickle down to consumer vehicles.”

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