Formula E adapts to the coronavirus emergency: the electric single-seater championship comes to a stop. With the Rome e-Prix in April cancelled, we take stock of the season, its key players and the evolution of the cars.
Sport has ground to a halt across Italy, and where it continues around the world it does so behind closed doors, as happened in Bahrain on 22 March, on the occasion of the first 'virtual' round of the Formula 1 world championship; but for the moment the global situation as a result of the coronavirus health emergency is entirely in flux. Formula E, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship — the first international championship for fully electric single-seaters — is no exception. The Rome round, added to the calendar in 2018, was due to take place on Saturday 4 April, but the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, in agreement with the Automobile Club d'Italia, first decided to cancel the e-Prix at the foot of the (square) Colosseum — the one at the EUR — and shortly afterwards the Jakarta round as well, until the definitive decision to suspend the championship altogether.
For fans of the ecological formula, then, the sixth season — which got under way in November 2019 in Saudi Arabia and was officially due to conclude in London at the end of July — is expected to resume in Berlin on 21 June, though by now the conditional tense is a must. While waiting to learn the fate of the championship and when it will be possible to enjoy sport in peace again around the world, we trace the history and characteristics of the first official series dedicated to open-wheel cars powered by a 100 per cent electric motor.
Formula E was born on a proposal by the FIA, which as early as 2011 was thinking about a category equally enticing and adrenaline-fuelled to offer to F1 fans, one also capable of conveying an important message: that of an alternative, clean energy in the world of motorsport, as well as an innovative one, given the significant contribution these competitions make to the development of road cars. Within just a few seasons, the biggest names in the automotive world — such as Audi, Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche — invested substantial sums and resources in sustainable motorsport, developing both competitiveness and expertise in parallel, throwing themselves into a new challenge with an eye on the future from a technological, environmental and social standpoint.
Having started quietly in the 2014–2015 biennium, year after year the green series has earned its place in the hearts of fans and insiders alike, becoming not an alternative to the queens of motorsport — above all Formula 1 or the Endurance World Championship (WEC), whose calendar boasts events such as the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans — but a genuine choice for manufacturers and drivers coming from other championships. Indeed, a great many F1 champions have taken turns at the wheel of the electric racing cars, including Jacques Villeneuve and Felipe Massa. The success of Formula E, which records ever-growing figures and in just a few years has built up a record-breaking following, is also due to the spectacular settings of its races, which take place exclusively on temporary street circuits created for the occasion.
From the breathtaking skyline of New York to the exotic medina of Marrakech, taking in some of the world's most famous destinations along the way — such as Rome, Paris and Berlin — the challenge being played out is not only between the teams and their drivers, but a generational one: Formula E is aimed primarily at a new audience of enthusiasts, young people who combine a passion for sport, cars and the environment. They are the 2.0 generation, the one that will live in the smart cities of the future, built or reinvented in pursuit of the shared goal of reaching total sustainability in our activities as soon as possible, in respect of the environment that hosts and surrounds us.
From the very first season, Formula E has introduced numerous incentives on track to engage audiences, especially via social media, thanks to options such as "Fanboost", which gives fans the ability to "give a boost" to their favourite drivers during the race, granting the most voted drivers an extra surge of energy. And if the whine produced by these single-seaters — typically electric, like that of the old toy cars on a Polistil track — were not in itself enough to get the grandstands going, the numerous overtaking moves and the on-track battles, always thrilling and fiercely contested, are there to give the category its force, reversing the trend compared to Formula 1's golden years; a sign that electric does not mean less power or spectacle — quite the contrary — while also doing the environment a favour.
For many manufacturers, Formula E is considered a laboratory in which to test new solutions to be applied to the electric mobility of the future. This is why the cars have changed profoundly since the first generation: today the Gen2 single-seater, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2018, reaches speeds of 280 kilometres per hour, can deliver a maximum output of up to 250 kW (335 horsepower), and accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in under 2.8 seconds. Since the first year, the power output of Formula E single-seaters — which under the regulations must complete a race lasting 45 minutes plus one lap — has risen from 170 to 200 kW (270 horsepower). The ability of the powertrain systems to regenerate energy has doubled over the years and, together with the development of the batteries (which have gone from 28 to 54 kWh), has made it possible for two seasons now to dispense with the mid-race car change.
Formula E was created to promote sustainable mobility on racing circuits, to support innovation and to accelerate the adoption of and transition to electric power worldwide. For this reason, in addition to the race calendar, Formula E has developed numerous partnerships and ancillary activities, associating its name with the promotion of educational programmes in schools and universities, and with events and conferences dedicated to climate and zero-impact mobility (through the FIA smart cities project), demonstrating that racing for a cleaner future is possible.
