London will play host to its first ever Formula E race this weekend. The Visa London ePrix will take place across 27/28 June in Battersea Park.
The 2.922km circuit will see the all-electric Formula E cars take on a challenging course dreamt up by British architect, Simon Gibbons.
The London ePrix will host the two final rounds of the format’s first ever season, where the winners of the championship will be decided.
The Formula E championship has lofty goals to increase the uptake and acceptance of electric vehicles across the world and consequently has sustainability at the centre of its operations.
The organisers believe that the entertaining nature of Formula E shows people that “EVs don’t have to be ‘uncool’ or ‘slow’”. Indeed, a report by Ernst & Young estimated that Formula E has the power to sell an additional 77 million EVs worldwide from 2015-2040, saving 4 billion barrels of oil and saving 25 billion euros on healthcare in the process.
The Spark-Renault SRT_01E
The format’s all-electric racing vehicle is the Spark-Renault SRT_01E – the product of various motorsport companies’ expertise.
The car has been build by French company, Spark Racing Technology. Construction of the monocoque chassis was handled by Italian company, Dallara. McLaren Electronics Systems provided the electric powertrain with Williams Advanced Engineering supplying the batteries. The batteries used in the vehicle are capable of providing 200kW of power, the equivalent to 270bhp. All of which is linked to a five-speed paddle shift sequential gearbox, which is supplied by British engineering company Hewland.
The French motorsport giant Renault is overseeing the system integrations and is the Formula E championship’s technical partner.
Next Energy News will be reporting from Battersea Park on 26 June. Keep your eyes on our news feed for more Forumla E videos, interview and breaking news.
