Hi Dino I saw a piece on TV about this I think, and they said the cars can do around 150 MPH, I was only half watching so not sure if this is the same series. Sounded like a tame jet engine noise on TV, not that bad to be honest.
IIRC mate, the cars are about 180hp with another 90hp boost. The boost is controlled by fans via Twitter, hense "fan boost". However the prize for the top driver is 5 million Euros!! Not bad for 10 races i think. No wonder ex f1 drivers are driving.
Thanks mate, what controlled by fans!!!. Just checked , you mean they can vote on twitter who gets the 50bhp advantage..still seems a bit odd that to me, personally I prefer equal across the board. Yes prize money not bad at all, certainly not to be sniffed at..
Yea strange concept. It is also being said that if this year is successful, then next year the cars and power units can be modded by the teams. It may eventually get to a stage were the usual FIA restrictions on power may be enforced, imagine that
Given time, Formula E will find a place in the motor sport community but the notion that they're out to replace Formula One is rather absurd. There is no threat what so ever to F-1 especially from a brand new out of the box concept such as this. F-1 seems determined to screw itself into the ground without any external assistance. Formula E is more of a platform for manufacturers to gain experience running electric motors and it should be obvious that technical advancements which will be coming from Formula E should advance the breed so the cars will run faster, longer, safer, etc. Seeing the list of high level teams, drivers, sponsors, etc. involved in Formula E, it doesn't appear to be a flash in the pan and the people who like the fact that the cars don't make a lot of noise are the cities which will be hosting the events on their downtown streets as noise ordinances slowly creep towards relegating traditional racing to the history books. BHW
Based on the youtube clip: First off, the noise these cars actually do manage to make is not pleasant in the slightest! - It's an ear piercing shrill that seems to make your teeth go funny! (that might just have been Me gritting My teeth though!). I suspect that was mainly from the gear teeth in the gearbox meshing rather than the electric motors. It's not all bad news though! - They might be able to sell the sound to the makers of the new Star Wars film for use as a spaceship engine noise! As for Formula E being here to stay!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMIy_KiBpKU
I love stars wars so that's probably why I didn't mind the sound that much https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ43_L9Acd0
Even the makers of Star Wars knew that the noise is a big part of racing!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_krCKECpzrU (The original Star Wars: Greatest film ever made! )
I think a lot of you are living under a rock. The people that will embrace this don't care what happens in F1. Electric motors in automobile racing will become more common. If this fails it will be from poor management, not poor technology.
It's not about failing due to "poor technology", what we are talking about is the series failing due to the fact that it doesn't appeal to mankind's primeval senses! - And primeval senses play a massive part in motor racing! Formula E lacks noise for a start off - Which is one of our most basic senses. Formula E lacks the vibrations and resonance that are generated by internal combustion engines - These vibrations and resonances are sensed internally within the body and generate feelings of excitement that are not easy to describe and cannot be replicated. Formula E lacks the smell that petrol engined race cars produce - Again, a basic human sense. These three elements are key factors that help make motor racing exciting, without them the experience is too diluted to generate mass appeal. This is why Formula E will fail - Not because race fans cannot accept the technology! Tell you what, try watching Grand Prix's on TV with the volume off and report back as to how exciting the race was! - Because that's pretty much what Formula E will be like! As for "The people who will embrace this": They will be far too few to sustain Formula E as a truly viable race series for the future!
