Audi revealed its first all-electric race car for
the Formula E championship, going by the name E-Tron FE04. After buying the ABT
Sportsline team, Audi became the first German manufacturer to enter the
all-electric motorsport series. The new team goes by the name Audi Sport ABT
Schaeffler.
“Following quattro, TFSI, TDI, hybrid drive and many
other innovations, our first single-seater race car is a portent of our product
offensive in the field of electric mobility that we are ringing in with the
Audi e-tron in 2018,” said says Peter Mertens, Audi’s member of the Board of
Management.
The new E-Tron FE04 features a completely new
powertrain, developed in collaboration with Schaeffler and paired to a
single-ratio transmission. “Together with our technology partner Schaeffler, we
have developed a completely new powertrain,” says Head of Audi Motorsport
Dieter Gass. “You can immediately tell this by looking at the new carbon
housing of the powertrain. The car also sounds different because we’re pursuing
new avenues in technology.”
The Audi Formula E team also showed their new
livery, featuring white, metallic green and black. The 33-year old Lucas di
Grassi, the current Formula E champion, will enter the new season with the
number 1 on his car, with Daniel Abt filling the second spot in the team.
