With a massive shake-up in the 2015/16 season technical regulations, every team [with the exception of Amlin Andretti and Team Aguri] were faced with a huge challenge in producing their own bespoke power-train. Renault in particular were perfectly poised to attack the new rules with gusto.
“To tackle this new challenge we needed Renault Sport’s expertise in electric motors and control systems, as well as Renault Sport Technologies’ mechanical skills when designing the gearbox and suspension” says Gaillardot. “We therefore assembled a Formula E-focussed group of specialists in order to make the most of the competencies within the Renault Group. As a result, we have been able to accumulate the valuable experience and technological know-how that Renault has acquired over the course of its long history competing in the highest levels of motorsport.”
“Once our team of specialists had been established, we got to work! We ran a lot of simulations, testing and validating the various components before selecting high-profile technical partners through benchmarking to ensure we are using the best in the industry.”
But assembling expertise is one thing, deciding how to implement the system architecture to maximise efficiency while projecting how the opposition would be assessing the same problem was quite another.
“In motor racing there are some criteria that don’t change” adds Gaillardot. “These are things like torque, weight and the centre of gravity. But with electric vehicles, we also had to consider some specific criteria like motor efficiency and losses in electric power transmission. Given that this is the first year of the new championship regulations, most teams and manufacturers will have very different architecture. In most motorsport series these differences diminish over time and as performance analysis finds the best solutions, so it will be interesting to see if this is the case in Formula E, too.”
Images: Richard Washbrooke Photography