The arrival of theFormula EGen3 car has generated great expectation among drivers, teams, fans and the motorsports press. The circuit organizers assured that it is the most powerful electric racing vehicle ever seen in circuits.
With only four months to go before the start of the eagerly awaited season 9, the teams began testing to verify the performance of the single-seater and the performance of the charging infrastructure installed for the next season.
The test took place at the Autodromo Ricardo Paletti in Varano, Italy and was organized by Porsche. It is not the first round of Gen 3 testing, but it is the first time that one of the new cars has pitted for charging.
For the campaign that is about to start, the cars have smaller batteries, which means they will have to make a stop during the race to supply more power. Thanks to the world’s fastest electric vehicle chargers, this is now a possibility.
Charging Details
The batteries the Gen3 car will use, now supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering, are more than 200 pounds lighter compared to the Gen 2 pack and maintain nearly the same capacity (51 kWh versus 54 kWh).
The higher power means they will have to pit to recharge even with a regenerative motor on the front axle, and to that end, ABB has developed a 600 kW charging system that far outperforms the most powerful 350 kW commercial chargers.
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Difficulties
Despite the motivation being generated by this new era of Formula E, some obstacles have arisen along the way. According to information released byThe Race several teams reported problems with their WAE batteries.
The snags have hampered test events for many of the Formula E manufacturer rosters and reportedly relate to the cells in the battery pack.
Sources quoted by The Race indicated that these difficulties were caused by vibrations and impacts associated with going over the edges, which is consistent with reports of cones on the track at Varano to keep drivers away from the bumps.
The new Formula E competition is scheduled to start next January 14, 2023 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.
