The organizers of the FIA Formula E Championship
arrived in Geneva this week with their new Gen2 electric racer. But they’re not
the only ones showing off the next-generation chassis. Along with a couple
other participating manufacturers, Audi came to the show with its version,
called the E-Tron FE05.
Displayed on the automaker’s show stand alongside
Lucas di Grassi’s championship-winning FE02, the new F05 adopts the radical new
design. It also wears its own livery in green, white, and black. But Audi’s
real contribution to the Abt Shaeffler team will be felt underneath the
bodywork, where the German automaker will help develop the electric powertrain.
The chassis itself is being made by Spark
Racing Technology, and the battery pack by McLaren. That battery is much more
powerful than the current car’s, though, so those mid-race car-swaps that were
mandated by the depleting charge will be a thing of the past.
The Audi Sport Abt Shaeffler team will face some
stiff competition next season when the new cars are rolled out – and BMW joins
the grid in partnership with Andretti Autosport. Mercedes and Porsche are set
to join the following season as well, potentially turning Formula E into a
technological showdown between Germany’s biggest automakers and their
considerable racing departments.
