Formula E Racing is the Live Laboratory for the Electrification of the Auto Industry

July 2022 - Brooklyn, NY:

The race cars are sleek, quiet and fast and as the drivers proudly proclaim, it sets the table for what the technology that will be in the waves of eclectic vehicles the world will be driving.

NYC VIBE spent a recent summer Friday in red Hook Brooklyn in the garages to talk with the team directors and drivers competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championships, about the learnings and contributions being made in this global race circuit to help auto manufacturers design and create the next waves of consumer electric vehicles and trucks.

We are witnessing what Formula E calles Gen-2 - the second generation of race vehicles - the excitement is over next year when GEN 3 will be introduced where a single charge could cover the entire race. Gen3 is set for the green flag in Season 9, where the cars will be smaller, lighter and much faster — capable of upwards of 200 miles per hour, up from an average of 174 miles per charge.

Team engineers are delighted to say the cars will also fast charge at up to 600 kilowatts during the pit stops when the Gen3 racers hit the track. Now, if and when that can happen to consumer EVs, nobody will be waiting around at charging stations and eliminating range anxiety.

In addition to the battery power and range, it's the software and AI that are making the difference and offering invaluable research to the automotive industry and suppliers.

Sanjay Srivastava, Genpact’s Chief Digital Strategist is fascinated by what he and his team are learning and anxious to share with his automotive client base.

The automotive manufacturers are determined to completely or partially transform their offerings to electric vehicles and the Formula E cursuit offers a reservoir of data, research and passion that is being passed on - not only the drivers are the big winners but so are the consumers who will enjoy this technology on the roads.