Audi last week revealed its contender for the 2020/2021 Formula E Championship.
As with previous seasons of the fully electric open-wheel race series, Audi's latest race car, the E-Tron FE07, is based on a common chassis, but it will use an in-house developed electric drive system for the first time.
The electric drive system is known as the Audi MGU05 and consists of an electric motor-generator mated to a single-speed transmission. It features an internal rotor concept, external magnets, a highly efficient cooling system and six electrical phases, according to Audi. It also weighs less than 77 pounds, which is impressive considering it will deliver a maximum 335 horsepower.
Performance estimates for the Audi E-Tron FE07 include a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of around 150 mph. The whole drive unit has an efficiency rating of 95% and the efficiency of the motor-generator alone is 97%, according to Audi.
2020/2021 Audi E-Tron FE07 Formula E race car
The common chassis used by teams is the Gen2 Evo from French constructor Spark Racing Technology. It was unveiled in February and will be used for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons of Formula E, the sport's seventh and eighth seasons. A redesigned Gen3 chassis will be introduced for the 2022/2023 season.
Also common to teams this season is the battery, in this case a 54-kilowatt-hour unit sourced from McLaren.
The 2020/2021 season was originally due to start in November but was delayed due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The first round will now start in Chile in January 2021, and for the first time the season will be officially recognized as a world championship by the FIA.
Driving for Audi in the new season will be Lucas di Grassi and Rene Rast. They hit the track in the E-Tron FE07 for the first time during an official test session in Valencia, Spain, on Saturday.
