Mexican Media Brands
McLaren Gears Up to Supply EV Race Cars
McLaren Group has been signed to build at least 42 electric cars for a new Formula E racing series scheduled to begin in 2014.
#hybrid
Share
McLaren Group has been signed to build at least 42 electric cars for a new Formula E racing series scheduled to begin in 2014.
McLaren, which also fields a Formula One racing team, will provide the new series with electric powertrains and electronic controllers. Still-unnamed suppliers will provide chassis and batteries for the cars.
The FIA, which sanctions F1 and other racing programs, created the Formula E series to showcase EV technology. The group has set a vehicle development budget cap of about $555,000 per car for the first season, which plans to stage races at 10 venues around the world.
In August Rio de Janeiro became the first city to sign up for a Formula E race, all of which will be staged on city streets.
Commercial rights to the new series were awarded to Hong Kong-based Formula E Holdings Ltd. The consortium anticipates a first-year grid of 10 teams and 20 drivers. The FIA hopes to lure several F1 teams into the series.
The Formula E cars will be based on a prototype developed by the French EV racing firm Formulec. The vehicles, which weigh 1,700 lbs, can zip from zero to 62 mph in three seconds and race for about 25 minutes per charge. Each driver will switch to a second EV to complete a race.
RELATED CONTENT
-
On Ford Maverick, Toyota Tundra Hybrid, and GM's Factory Footprint
GM is transforming its approach to the auto market—and its factories. Ford builds a small truck for the urban market. Toyota builds a full-size pickup and uses a hybrid instead of a diesel. And Faurecia thinks that hydrogen is where the industry is going.
-
Rivian Gets Even More Money, Now From Ford
The electrification of automotive is serious business. This week it was announced that Ford is making a $500-million equity investment in Rivian.
-
2019 Honda Insight
One of the things that rarely gets the amount of attention that it should in a typical “car review” is the fact that for a considerable amount of time drivers are not “getting on the throttle” because for a considerable number of drivers, they’re “dwelling on the binders,” a.k.a., sitting with their foot depressed on the brakes, perhaps lifting every now and then in order to nudge forward in traffic.