During the weekend, Formula E will return to action for what will be the tenth season of the fully electric category, born way back in 2014. As in the last championship, the world championship will kick off with the appointment in Mexico City, with an away match overseas on a track that has received positive feedback from the drivers, especially after the latest change to the layout.
This is also the second season with the new Gen 3, the car that marked the culmination of more than four years of behind-the-scenes planning, design and testing. A single-seater that makes efficiency its maximum expression, both for the weight reduction of approximately 50 kg compared to the previous generation, and for the technical innovations that have led to the adoption of two electric motor generators, one for each axle.
The power of the electric motor has increased by 25%, going from 280 kW to 350 kW, the equivalent of a combustion engine of around 470 hp: specifically, the mode during the race is around 300 kW, while for the qualifications and for the periods in Attack Mode increase to 350 kW. An increase also possible thanks to the double energy regeneration system, an aspect that represented one of the most radical innovations of Gen 3 and which will be further revised with Gen 3.5 next year.
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
The motor-generator placed on the front axle of Gen 3 cars produced by Atieva
Compared to last season there are no substantial changes on a technical level, given that the development of the Powertrain is blocked as per the regulations. Although there are some manufacturers that undoubtedly started with a significant advantage over the competition during this generation, such as Porsche and Jaguar, at the same time it is important not to underestimate the growth of the future. 2023 has shown how it is possible to take steps forward during the world championship, getting closer to the top.
The importance of software
Furthermore, for 2024 the manufacturers had the opportunity to work on the software, where there is significantly greater freedom compared to Formula 1, which instead imposes greater constraints on the engineers. If in Formula 1 the manufacturers' war is played above all on hardware, in the electrical category this role falls to the codes. In fact, there are various systems freely developed by the teams, not only for energy management, but also for braking modulation and optimization of the charging phase. From this point of view, identifying the best recovery strategy in the race is also fundamental, because drivers often tend to slow down by first exploiting the braking effect of the motor generators to recharge the batteries rather than the “traditional” mechanical brakes placed on the front axle. .
It is therefore necessary to find the right balance that can guarantee soft braking to give the pilot greater confidence, while also recovering a good amount of energy at the same time, which is why pilots spend a lot of time in the simulator to best optimize this phase and find greater efficiency that translates into lap time.
Clearly there is not just one area, given that the engineers work on multiple levels: there are basic codes mainly linked to hardware management, such as voltages and frequencies, and other more advanced ones which instead influence the behavior of the car, such as recovery and the use of power. Big differences can also be found between those who share the same Powertrain, i.e. Maserati and DS which, despite having the same heart as the Stellantis group, develop the code independently. In general, the writing of the software, which is continuously revised by the manufacturers, represents an aspect that not only can clearly influence the performance of the single-seater, but which can also decisively modify the dynamics of the vehicle.
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Avalanche Andretti Formula E, Porsche 99
The role of competition strategies
In the last championship, Formula E recorded the record figure of 1474 overtakings, an extremely high number when compared to the championship races. In fact, there have been weekends in which more than 300 overtakings were exceeded, which also derives from how Formula E has changed since the introduction of Gen 3.
The new generation of single-seaters has in fact both opened up the opportunity for greater action in the race, thanks to smaller dimensions and minimum mass, fundamental considering that many events of the season take place on narrow city tracks, and for the fact that it has become even more criticizes energy management. In 2023 it was not uncommon to see races with long trains or continuous exchanges of positions, in which no one wanted to stay in the lead, preferring instead to stay behind some other rider to exploit the slipstream and save battery.
A behavior that is not always present, given that it depends on the characteristics of the circuits. There are tracks where it is even more convenient to jump to the lead and try to escape, perhaps also in order to be able to count on greater freedom in energy management in the final stages, as often happened in Gen 2. However, there are other events where this strategy is not particularly effective, as in Brazil, a race where the tactic of leaving the road so as not to stay in front of everyone on the long straight emerged clearly. Equally decisive is the moment in which to then go on the attack in the last part of the race, trying to understand what the ideal moment is so as not to anticipate or excessively delay one's move.
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Sam Bird, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, e-4ORCE 04, Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Penske, DS E-Tense FE23, Oliver Rowland, Nissan Formula E Team, Nissan e-4ORCE 04
Given that the hardware hasn't changed, realistically this year will see races with constant leader changes, as Jake Dennis pointed out: “Yes. To be honest, the hardware hasn't changed since last season, there has been only software development, so the way the races will take place will still be similar. There will still be circuits, like Rome was, where it is better to be in the lead and try to get away, but there will also be races where you will see even more trains to exploit the slipstream where no one wants to go in the lead. It creates great unknowns for the drivers, it is more important to understand how to read the race correctly than having a fast car. In general, it should be similar to last season.”
A strategy that last year proved to be able to work, but which at the same time also proved to be very difficult to implement, because the risk is to end up excessively behind in the group, then having to expend a greater amount of energy to move up the rankings . There is therefore a subtle balancing act between trying to stay in the wake of other riders but without losing too many positions, because this would have a negative impact on the continuation of the race.
The unknown of Attack Charge
Approaching the development of Gen 3, Formula E had worked with technological partners to develop batteries that would also allow the sporting format to be modified. The initial idea was to include a rapid charging system, Attack Charge, within the races, which would have allowed 4kWh to be supplied to the battery via a pit stop lasting approximately thirty seconds towards the halfway point of the race.
Attack Charge, the fast charging system tested once again in Valencia, should finally make its debut in Season 10
This would also have allowed the unlocking of two limited-time Attack Mode periods, in which the car's power would have increased from the standard 300 kW to 350 kW, as happens in qualifying. However, due to some problems encountered during the development phase and the lack of spare parts from suppliers, it was decided to postpone the introduction of this innovation.
Initially it was thought that this change to the format could arrive during the second half of the 2023 season, but it was then postponed again to Season 10, asking the teams for an opinion regarding its introduction. Despite the various tests carried out in Valencia, where the teams were actually seen testing the procedure, the Attack Charge will not make its debut in the first race of the new championship. The idea is to alternate appointments with the classic format, that of Attack Mode, with other stages in which there should be a pit stop.
At the moment it has not yet been definitively decided when this transition will take place, but the latest indications indicate Misano as a possible chosen location. This will be an element that will further impact race strategies, with the need also to think about how to manage traffic in the pit lane.
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