Innovations
This month’s coolest tech and gadgets.
Formula E is racing into its fifth season this year with a striking new car design.
In Formula E, all racing teams use the same chassis and battery. This secondgeneration car, which will be used for the next three seasons, has been built – like the first – by French company Spark Racing Technology. Its battery, supplied by McLaren, has double the capacity of the previous one, which means drivers will no longer need to switch to a second vehicle halfway through each race.
Measuring 1.8m wide by 5m long, the car weighs in at 885kg – some 87kg heavier than its predecessor – yet now boasts a top speed of around 300km/h (186mph), compared to the original vehicle’s 225km/h (140mph).
Meanwhile, more obvious changes to the car’s design include aggressively styled front wings and a large diffuser at the rear, as well as a ring of lights around the protective ‘halo’ that surrounds the cockpit and guards against head injuries.