Formula E is back with new teams, rules and some very clever cars

Battery powered racing returns to the track

BATTERY powered racing returns for an electrifying new season.

 

The lights go green on the Formula E championship in just 52 days time and this season promises to be better than ever.

With a host of new rules and updates to the hi-tech cars, motorsport fans will see faster and closer racing action along the streets of the world's biggest cities.

The season kicks off in Beijing on October 17th and travels to nine other countries including France, America and Russia – with the championship coming to a thrilling end in London early next year.

Formula E is changing the perception of electric cars and with 0-60 times of three seconds, plus a top speed of over 140mph, it's not hard to see why.

 

Formula e hits the track at Donnington for the final day of testing

 

Qualcomm has unveiled its new BMW i8 safety car

 

The BMW i8 gets charged via Qualcomms Halo system

Last season saw each team using identical cars, but this year they've been allowed to tinker.

Drivetrains and gears are now customised by each racing team, although each car must use the same battery power unit which is being made by Williams.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Audi racing driver Lucas di Grassi, said the changes were good as the teams want to invest in their cars and new technology.

And asked if he worried that one car could dominate the season, he said: "The cars performance has been limited so all teams have the same power.

"Although some cars have different gears and drivetrains I'm expecting the season to be very close."



Express.co.uk technology editor, David Snelling, gets to grips with the new cars

Teams are racing to bring cutting-edge technology focused on inverters, motors, transmissions and cooling systems to their race cars; not only will this ensure the racing remains highly competitive, but it supports the goal of Formula E to advance the development of new technologies for electric vehicles and to bring those technologies, vital to sustainable mobility, to the attention of millions of people around the globe.

This will also be helped by some big names joining the sport.

Ex F1 ace Jacques Villeneuve, now adds his name to the list of driving talent which includes Bruno Senna, Nelson Piquet, Nick Heidfeld, Jean-Eric Vergn, and Sam Bird.

 

We are excited to continue our support of Formula E in this second season

Steve Pazol, general manager of wireless charging, Qualcomm Incorporated

And there’s another new addition to this year’s championship.

Tech giant Qualcomm has just unveiled their electric powered BMW i8 safety car, which guides the drivers around the street circuits should anything go wrong.

Not only is the stunning electric supercar able to hit the track at over 160mph, but it can also get a battery refill without the need for a plug.

The i8 will be pumped with juice during the race via Qualcomm’s Halo 7.2kW wireless charging system.

And this new technology is now so good, the car can go from flat to full in just one hour.

Qualcomm are working hard on this new form of charging and are investing huge amounts of time advancing it for the future.

The company hopes that their Halo system could be installed into roads allowing electric cars to get a refill on the move.

 

Steve Pazol, general manager of wireless charging, Qualcomm Incorporated said: “We are excited to continue our support of Formula E in this second season,”

“Qualcomm is showcasing its innovative new technologies within the Championship and using the motorsport platform to accelerate the development of automotive technologies, which is perfectly illustrated by the wireless charging technology fitted to the new BMW i8 Safety Car.”