Faster and more efficient, but also more spectacular and sustainable. It is the visiting card of the third generation Formula E single-seaters, the so-called Gen3 that have just been unveiled in preview in Valencia, where the pre-season tests of the next edition of the World Championship dedicated to single-seaters are currently underway. electric. This is not yet the official presentation, but an appetizer for a small number of producers, teams, drivers and partners of Formula E. La Stampa also took part in this electric “aperitif”, discovering the salient features of the Gen3, which the FIA president Jean Todt has defined “a cross between high performance, efficiency and sustainability” and which, however, will compete only during season number 9 or 2022/2023.
From a technical point of view, the salient novelty is the presence of an electric motor also at the front, which however has only the task of implementing regenerative braking (for now, in the future there could also be four-wheel drive), with a capacity of energy recovery of 250 kW. This is added to that of the rear engine, which reaches 350 kW, totaling an incredible regenerative capacity of 600 kW. In this way, the Formula E Gen3 is the most efficient racing car in the world, as it is able to recover at least 40% of the energy used. This capability also makes traditional rear brake discs superfluous. The maximum speed is also impressive, which thanks to the 470 HP of the rear electric motor – which has a weight / power ratio twice better than a heat engine of the same power – grows up to
at 320 km / h
Furthermore, the Gen3 cars are smaller and more agile than today’s Gen2 cars, with the aim of increasing the spectacularity of the battles on the track. Speaking of sustainability, however, the Gen3 is the first formula car that respects Life Cycle Thinking with established paths of
end of life or second life of all components, including tires, batteries and parts damaged in the race. The latter, in particular, will be recycled in the aeronautical or aerospace sector and the tires will be made with 26% of materials
sustainable. Furthermore, both the construction and the use of the Gen3 are carbon neutral, as well as the entire Formula E Championship: for this reason the suppliers will have to obtain the FIA certification on sustainability within the next season. The teams, on the other hand, will receive the Gen 3 cars in the spring of next year, when they have them
completed the on-track and off-track test program.
