Formula E has published the first ‘teasers’ of the new ‘Gen3’, the car that will use the electric series. Photos that show little and leave more doubts than certainties. However, the teams and manufacturers involved in the event already know much of the car from a presentation that took place in Spain taking advantage of the first tests of the car in Monteblanco. Benoît Tréluyer, Formula E development driver, has been in charge of testing the car in different configurationswith and without its final bodywork.
Although the data is still limited, Benoît Trélúer has given some of the keys to a single-seater According to the former Audi driver, they have a very well-made monocoque and it is a visually very nice car. Beyond these secondary aspects, Tréluyer has shown that the doubts about Hankook tires are totally unfounded and that the tires are in the expected performance window from the start. Both in degradation and performance, Hankook tires met expectations.
Benoît has also put the focus on the extra power of the ‘Gen3’. Weighing around 800 kilograms, the new single-seater will be by design more agile and faster than its predecessor. To this must be added that the output power will be 350 kW. A combination that, according to Trélúer, eliminates at a stroke some defects of the current Formula E and turn the new car into a real single-seater and not as much as a vehicle halfway between a single-seater and a prototype. Even if the ‘Gen3’ do not have hydraulic rear brakes, the sensations are similar.
In fact, the Formula E test driver claims to be totally surprised by the braking capacity of the ‘Gen3’since the absence of rear brakes does not make the car feel different. 600 kW regenerative braking does all the work with the same efficiency and avoids some problems of conventional systems. In the end, Formula E bet offers a consistent braking system, without so much concern about temperature and other aspects. Of course, the set-up of the ‘Gen3’ will be more critical.
Finally, Tréluyer has ensured that the ‘Gen3’ is very easy to handle, although at the exits of the curve it is a delicate vehicle due to its greater torque and power. The Formula E tester ensures that you have to drive with a certain smoothness to avoid scares. And this can also be applied to wheel-to-wheel driving, as the new cars will not allow as many contacts as the ‘Gen2’. The test program designed by Formula E includes, according to Trélúer, certain ‘mistreatment’ of the car.
Source: The Race
/
Photos: FIA Formula E