How much of Formula E technology ends up on road cars? The question is not insignificant because – translated – it can be read like this: what is the point of battery-powered car racing?
The evolution of single-seaters – which our Carlo Platella describes perfectly here – has been monstrous, a testament to the commitment that car manufacturers put into research and development. But how much of this “stuff” will we then find on mass-produced cars?
It is known that motorsport has always been the most classic training ground for experimenting with new technologies to be transferred one day to production cars. “And this – explained Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance director – is even more true today with Formula E: we are at the centre of an electric revolution within the automotive industry. And Formula E is a fundamental laboratory for accelerating and perfecting electrification”.
We sought answers from DS for a reason: it is one of the brands in the world that will be the first to offer only battery-powered cars. And it is at the forefront of this technological transfer. Specifically, much of the work is concentrated on energy recovery systems to optimize that kinetic energy that, instead of being dissipated, in electric cars is transformed into kilometers to travel.
“Today in a modern Formula E over 40% of the energy used in the race comes from regenerative braking – explains Franzetti – and this is very important because, to be clear, the cars start with a full tank that without recovery systems would not allow them to finish the race”. But there is more. “Thanks to motorsport – continues the manager – we have developed ultra-powerful energy recovery software, as well as physical components such as the engine and the inverter that have become smaller and more efficient over time. All this experience has already been integrated into our current electrified range and will be found once again in the brand’s next 100% electric cars”.
It is no coincidence that DS Performance produces in-house a series of parts for the Formula E single-seater, such as the rear engine unit, including the energy recovery system and the transmission, the cooling system, the electrical system and the rear suspension. Not to mention the in-house production of the software and algorithms that optimize the energy management we were talking about earlier. In short, Formula E may or may not be liked, but it is certainly a formidable training ground for the cars of tomorrow.
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