On Tuesday at the Frankfurt Motor Show, FIA president Jean Todt, and Formula E Holdings CEO Alejandro Aga revealed the new Spark-Renault SRT_01E – Formula E’s fully electric single seat race car that will debut in competition next year.
The SRT_01E was designed and built by Spark Racing Technology and a consortium of manufacturers involved in racing. The race car will compete in the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship beginning in September 2014. The Formula E Championship is the world’s first global electric race series. According to the series, the SRT_01E race car “aims to push the boundaries of what is currently achievable in electric motorsport, whilst ensuring a balance between cost-effectiveness and sustainability, in addition to coping with the demands of racing entirely on [street] circuits.”
The electric race car is built out of carbon-fiber and has an aluminum monocoque chassis built by Izod IndyCar Series and GP2 Series supplier Dallara. McClaren Electronic Systems will supply the electric motor – the same one that was originally developed for the McClaren P1 supercar.
Renault — Formula E’s official technical partner — will oversee “systems integration, performance optimization and powertrain electrical safety.”
“I congratulate all partners involved in the production of the fully electric SRT_01E car — it is a fantastic achievement,” said Todt.
Formula E expects to have 10 teams and 20 drivers competing in the new zero-emission series — though that limit applies only for the first season as Formula E is an “open championship” designed to encourage manufacturers to build their own car to help accelerate research and development around the electric vehicle. Spark will produce a total of 42 cars, with each driver using two cars during the one-hour races due to limited battery life.
After the Frankfurt Motor Show, the car will undergo an FIA crash test, followed by an extensive testing program.
