F
ormula E centers around all-electric engines and no internal combus-
tion. The automotive bodies are very similar to Formula One cars, but
are a bit shorter and narrower since they don’t contain fuel of any sort.
The cars race on street circuits and develop top speeds of up to 140 mph.
Sure, that doesn’t seem terribly fast, but the electric power plants enable
these street missiles to fly around narrow dangerous walled circuits all
over the world at remarkable speeds and dexterity. The zero to 60 factor
is almost instantaneous.
No need for ear plugs with this series. What one hears is a type of whistling
as the cars accelerate past the viewer. The practice sessions last only about
forty-five minutes each; the race itself last approximately an hour, or in
the case of this New York event, forty-five laps maximum. Ten venues and
twelve races in Hong Kong, Morocco, Chile, Mexico City, Uruguay, Rome,
Paris, Berlin and Switzerland, finally wrapping up in Red Hook, Brooklyn,
with the beautiful views of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline and
the Brooklyn Bridge.
NINE TEAMS
Virtually all the major manufacturers have either already joined or are about
to enter the series within the next year or two. Audi has taken a huge leap in
the winnings. This may very well have come from Audi’s experience in the
sports car world. Indeed, Audi was the first to introduce the Etron portion
of the racecar events several years ago. So in a sense they had a jump on
others. Presently there are nine teams running. Jaguar, Audi and Renault
make up the big factory teams, with Mercedes and others set to join in 2019.
Presently the teams run two cars in each race for each driver. Until next
year, technology only allowed for enough electricity to go part of a race.
Drivers stop for a regular pit stop and exit their car, then hop into their other
car to finish the event. All that will change in 2019 when a single car with
the ability to go the entire race will be the norm. As time goes on so will
improvements, just like other forms of racing.
UP-CLOSE FOR FANS
The excitement for the fans is how close they are to the racing. We have
learned that top speeds will gradually increase. Eventually technology will
have advanced so that these cars will begin to run a longer season, including
circuit racing along with the street venues.
But we are not there quite yet. When the NY FE race comes around again
next July, this journalist urges everyone to make the trip to Brooklyn and
see this new racing technology for yourself. You’ll walk away as impressed
as the rest of us have. You will leave with a huge smile on your face–and
your hearing will be perfectly intact.
Left: TAG Heuer Autavia
Top: Actor, racecar driver
and TAG Heuer ambassador
Patrick Dempsey at the
New York Formula E Race
FALL 2018 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 115