Audi’s Newly Developed e-tron FE05 Set to Take on Formula E

Motorsports

Published on October 8th, 2018 | by Subhash Nair

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Audi’s Newly Developed e-tron FE05 Set to Take on Formula E

On December 15, a new era in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will begin in Ad Diriyah (Saudi Arabia): Thanks to the electric cars’ greater range, the drivers will compete with only one race car for the first time. Audi now unveils the newly developed Audi e-tron FE05, with which Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi will again make a bid for the titles.

For the fifth season of Formula E, the motor is permitted to produce up to 340 hp in qualifying. In the race, the output is capped at 272 hp. New are the so-called activation zones: When drivers pass through this zone on the racetrack, they can briefly access a higher power mode of 306 hp. Formula E fans can still support their favourite driver by casting their vote online via “FanBoost”, which gives drivers a temporary power boost of up to 340 hp.

All Formula E teams draw electricity from identical McLaren batteries weighing 374 kilograms. The lithium-ion battery is mounted between the driver’s seat and the powertrain. It has a capacity of 52 kWh and can be charged within 45 minutes. A completely new development for the fifth season is the “Brake-by-Wire” system. Brake control and transmission to the rear axle are decoupled from each other and electronically controlled. The brake balance is therefore always optimally distributed and recuperation becomes even more efficient.

Like in Formula 1, the driver sits in a monocoque made of carbon-fiber, developed to comply with FIA safety standards. CFRP crash structures at the front, rear and sides provide maximum safety. Also new – analog to Formula 1 – is the halo system above the cockpit which provides additional protection for the drivers’ heads. The minimum weight of a Formula E race car is 900 kilograms (including the driver). The electric race car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds. Top speed is achieved at around 240 km/h. Of particular note: the new generation of the Audi e-tron FE05 comes without a rear wing – a rarity in motorsport. Instead, downforce is generated by a large diffuser at the rear of the race car. After the first test drives, fans compared the futuristic look of the car to a “Batmobile”, “Star Wars” and a “spaceship”.


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Written work on dsf.my. @subhashtag on instagram. Autophiles Malaysia on Youtube.



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