A Look to the Way forward for Formulation E Racing

How Formulation E groups can extract the most efficiency from their powertrains below the brand new rules

The third era of Formulation E electrical automobile racing is because of starts in 2023, and it options an all-new chassis design in addition to an overhaul of the permitted energy ranges. The ability restricts in races will improve from 200kW (Season 7, 2021) to 300kW while qualifying will see 350kW of accessible energy, up from 250kW (Season 7, 2021). Entrance axle regenerative braking may even be launched which implies there’s potential for mixed vitality restoration of as much as 600kW (350 rear, 250 entrance). This extra factor ought to additional enhance race effectivity and prolong the vary of the battery.

As we embark on the subsequent season of Formulation E, every workforce shall be on the lookout for new alternatives to boost their vehicles and maximise on-track efficiency. At Intertek, our automotive testing consultants are obsessed with motorsport and supporting Formulation E groups to push the boundaries of what is potential of their autos.

Why does Formulation E matter?

Formulation E is about to embark on its eighth season. Having just lately been recognised by the FIA, the governing physique of motorsport, as an official world championship, it’s rising ever stronger as a platform for selling the capabilities and potential of electrical automobile expertise.

Competitors is an especially efficient driving pressure for technological development in motorsport. For years, expertise developed in Formulation 1 has discovered its means onto highway vehicles, and now Formulation E is becoming a member of the celebration. A number of automotive producers are competing in Formulation E, and what they’re studying helps to form the vehicles that buyers shall be shopping for in the close to future. Powertrains that may obtain effectivity values greater than 98% are commonplace in present Formulation E. When these are mixed with greater energy density batteries, electrical autos can journey additional while losing much less vitality. Different enhancements in inverter, motor and battery expertise are serving to form electrical autos for the highway.

What is required for achievement in Formulation E?
There’s an adage in motorsport; “If you wish to end first, first you’ll want to end”. It sums up completely the necessity for reliability above all else. With this in thoughts, it takes a robust, devoted workforce to place collectively a automotive that’s each fast and environment friendly. If we consider the battery as a bucket of vitality, it’s fascinating to make use of as a lot of that bucket as the potential to energy the automotive ahead, fairly than making issues sizzling and losing vitality as warmth. That is the place the necessity for an environment-friendly and dependable powertrain is available in. When that is underpinned by a mechanically strong chassis, the result’s a race automotive that mixes excessive efficiency, effectivity, and reliability. In a nutshell, all three of those are required to realize success in Formulation E.

How can Intertek help Formulation E groups?

At Intertek’s brand-new EV check facility, we have a wide range of rigs that may help quite a few assessments starting from early powertrain growth right through to reliability, effectivity tuning, and lap simulation. We even have a full automotive dyno able to be operated as two separate E-axle rigs to facilitate testing of rear-end assemblies. All our rigs function 400kW battery simulators, while the 4WD cell has 3 that may be run in numerous configurations to realize energy ranges of as much as 1.2MW.

As effectivity is an important part of Formulation E, it’s critical to grasp the traits of a powertrain in an effort to undertake the optimum race technique. All of the check rigs utilise HBM torque transducers, which when mixed with our Yokogawa energy analysers, can provide very correct and repeatable effectivity measurements. This makes effectivity mapping potential and is an efficient place to begin when it comes to understanding the powertrain. Common lap efficiencies can be calculated by replaying actual lap knowledge on the check rigs to simulate on-track situations. Powertrain characterisation also can play an enormous half in maximising effectivity, and the ability analysers are able to capture uncooked knowledge at 500kHz, which supplies an in-depth perception of how the powertrain is performing electrically.

Testing carried out on an E-axle rig can provide groups a greater understanding of how the drivetrain works as a complete. Total efficiencies could be calculated, and this could result in different avenues for maximising effectivity reminiscent of testing totally different gearbox structures, lubricants, and drive shaft preparations. Occasion simulation testing can be carried out to ensure the entire elements are able to survive as long as they should. If the total 4WD rig is used, we are able to shake down the entire automotive and check the ancillary programs together with brake by wire and cooling.

Can Intertek help third era rules?

Intertek’s 4-wheel drive dyno is able to operate a complete automotive by driving in addition to absorbing energy so all elements of the powertrain could be examined to the utmost energy ranges. When observing testing time is restricted, this testing generally is a worthwhile useful resource in understanding and bettering automotive efficiency. If the drivetrain is optimised off observe, on observe operating could be focussed particularly on automobile dynamics and operational positive factors.