Member-only story
When Will We Have Electric Formula One Cars?
Formula One cars have changed a lot over the years. Sometimes they have turbos, sometimes they don’t. But with the growing focus on the environment, the question is bubbling up:
When will Formula One, Indy and other “open wheel” racing series go electric?
The answer may be “sooner than you think.”
Formula E
In 2014, Formula E quietly came onto the scene. Formula E (sometimes typed with a hyphen) runs street races in all-electric open wheel cars, and also uses a plug-in hybrid as the safety car.
It’s actually the only series other than Formula 1 to have World Championship status with the FIA, but it is not intended to be any kind of replacement for Formula 1. The street racing format is quite different, and the races are a lot shorter at 45 minutes plus one lap. The race also has a bit of a video game feel, with bonuses for driving off the racing line and temporary power boosts granted…by the fans.
I have yet to watch a Formula E race and now I kind of want to. However, the format demonstrates the biggest problem with electric open wheel racing.
Range.
In fact, for the first four seasons of Formula E, drivers had to stop halfway through the race…to change cars.