The Formula E Gen3 car introduces many new feature, the biggest one is the front motor, that will be the same for all the teams and can have a theoretical max power of 250 kW.
By regulation todays, Gen3 can only use this unit for regen to recover energy during breaking and the reason to have the motor connected to the front wheel is to allow the maximum energy extraction.
The breaking process is now splitted in 3 different chanel, the traditional hydraulic channel with disk rotor and caliper, on this channel is forbiddent (Article 11.1 of technical regualiton) to have any ABS system helping the driver in the breaking process.
The other 2 channel are digital and involve the front and the rear motor, for the rear motor is managed by the team and still similar to previous generation regen strategy.
The new front motor can recover much more energy than the rear motor and team must take care to collect as much energy as possible.
Software management of breaking will act a very important role because for the digital system a very primordial ABS system is allowed (sense only the differential not the single wheel) and this can make the difference in wet conditions.
All this regen is critical to harvest the maximum amount of energy without overstressing the battery but…
In the thechinical regulation is stated:
- “”7.5 RESS power and energy limitation
- The maximum power flow from the RESS is 350 kW.
- The maximum power flow to the RESS is 600 kW, of which no more
- than 350kW can be supplied via the rear powertrain, and no more
- than 250kW can be supplied via the front powertrain.”
The lithium ion battery can deliver more power in discharging than in charging so the 350 kW limit is not technical because exist a 600kW limit in recharging, now everybody is thinking what can be the real performace of a Gen3 if also the 250kW front motor can be used for traction and not only as a brake.
There are even talking between teams and organization about the big performace step-up if regulation will allow in the future to unleash the now dormient power unit. In that case the car will have a total power of 600kW – 804HP available for the driver.
#SimoneRambaldi #theEMNteam
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