The new Formula E car which will be raced in the 2018-19 season has run for the first time.
The DS E-tense FE 19 performed a demonstration run near the DS Performance factory in Versailles, France. The first official test of the new cars will take place next week.
DS Performance diretcor Xavier Mestelan-Pinon said: “It was great to see the DS E-tense FE 19 run at our track in Satory.”
“The car’s different assemblies had previously been tested on the bench but this is the first time the fully assembled car has turned a wheel. Starting it was a rewarding moment for the team’s technical staff. It’s an occasion you never forget.”
Formula E has upgraded the performance and battery life of its 2018-19 car with the goal of making the cars quicker while also doing away with the mandatory mid-race car swaps which have been a feature of races in its first four seasons. The new car has a 250kW power unit and 54kWh battery.
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mhoog
23rd March 2018, 8:21
“Ok team, we are going to design a new Formula E car”
“Step one. What can we do to make it as ugly as possible?”
tonyyeb (@tonyyeb)
23rd March 2018, 9:01
From all the comments I’ve read about the aesthetics of the new car, you seem to be in the minority. I personally think this will attract a lot more younger fans to Formula E with it’s aggressive looks.
fast
23rd March 2018, 18:56
+100
lee1
23rd March 2018, 9:10
I think it looks great!
Shaken not stirred (@shakennotstirred)
23rd March 2018, 9:11
I like it. The rear v wing won’t be as efficient as a horizontal wing but it looks great and the treatment of the front wheel covers is much better than last years. Even the halo looks OK – ish.
fast
23rd March 2018, 18:58
the wings actually slow the formula e’s down – hence the low-downforce package, for greater speed!
unlike f1, particularly mercedes who have more horsepower and can ‘over-aero’ the car
BasCB (@bascb)
23rd March 2018, 9:14
I agree with @tonyyeb, that car is reallly going for a “aggressive-futuristic look”. I do hope they put a bit of an in style fairing on the Halo too though, apart from that, it looks like one would want such a car to look.
Damon (@damon)
23rd March 2018, 9:49
The car only looks good in comparison to the current vomit inducing car. On its own, it isn’t all that great.
“aggressive-futuristic look”
Futuristic – sure. Aggressive?? Hell no! It looks whimpy as hell. Like a big duck on wheels, designed to stroll around a park driven by a 70-year-old gentleman.
BasCB (@bascb)
23rd March 2018, 9:52
Since form doesn’t really follow function with these cars it’s all about design – that means it’s a matter of taste @damon. I am sure not many 70yolds would even fit into those cars :-P
ADUB SMALLBLOCK (@waptraveler)
23rd March 2018, 14:02
Unfortunately, I know I wouldn’t fit! (One 70 year old’s confession)!
Joseph (@bigjoe)
23rd March 2018, 15:26
@damon
If the looks of certain vehicles make you feel nausia maybe you should try another sport
You want ever increasing aggressive cars there’s plenty of options. Many over the top though IMO. Touring cars starting to look anything but.
Formula E aero has to be a compromise due to the cars being power and top speed restricted.
The new aero was designed to hopefuly improve the racing. Losing the rear wing downforce is provided by the large diffuser.
Iosif (@afonic)
23rd March 2018, 11:46
It’s atrocious.
Joseph (@bigjoe)
23rd March 2018, 15:14
Wrong. There were more than 1 design and the decision was made by Jean Todt to go with this one.
blacx
23rd March 2018, 9:03
54 kWh battery
chupmelajapi
23rd March 2018, 10:03
you are very few… all the motorsport world think this car is a beauty
user
23rd March 2018, 10:26
no they don’t
Alex (@ziltoid)
23rd March 2018, 10:13
Aww, it even has a Halo, how cute. They should add a loud-speaker on the back so it sounds as fast as it looks.
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
23rd March 2018, 10:58
I thought we’re already in 2018…
WimB
23rd March 2018, 11:03
Could it be that the aerodynamics of this design lend themselves to cars following each other closely and thus to actual close racing? It doesn’t rely on downforce created by big front or rear wings (which it doesn’t have), so it shouldn’t be too sensitive to the wake of a preceding car. Plus, the preceding car’s wake should also be cleaner thanks to the lack of a big rear wing and the encased rear wheels (which should create less disturbance in the air). In addition, the floor section from front suspension to sidepods seems designed to act as a flat extension of the front wing and this also in such a way that the oncoming air is deflected away from the car and also without any vortice-inducing intricacies, thus also keeping the car’s wake cleaner. And of course, finally, the two whoppers of diffusers sticking out at the back suggest a lot of downforce generated under the car, also helping to glue it to the track.
Disclaimer: I am no aerodynamicist, so don’t shoot me if I got this all wrong.
WimB
23rd March 2018, 11:15
I am not saying the clean wake etc. were the primary focus of the design. Electric cars in general prefer a smooth aerodynamic line, since the smoother they cut through the air, the less obstruction/resistance they encounter and that helps conserve energy. And conserving energy is essential for an electric car. I’m just saying that close racing could be a neat by-product of this electric car design. And maybe it was indeed a secondary focus in the design process.
So maybe, just maybe, F1 should take a look and see if they can borrow some ideas here (apart from fan boost, of course). Just in case they’re considering super-DRS or anything to promote close racing.
WimB
23rd March 2018, 11:16
Darn! Clicked the wrong Reply button. Meant to continue my previous post.
thegamer23
23rd March 2018, 13:40
The car has no rear wing, all the downforce is generated underneath the car, conveyed through the Big rear diffuser.
It’s a positive kind of downforce, that doesn’t affect slipstreaming at all.
Those cars will be a lot faster, and will be able to follow each other just like today’s FE cars.
And they look stunning. All good for Formula E
ADUB SMALLBLOCK (@waptraveler)
23rd March 2018, 14:03
I don’t like these cars in general, but I believe this one is better looking than last year’s. I ASSUME those huge boxes in the back are the diffusers for down force.
Joseph (@bigjoe)
23rd March 2018, 15:46
Yes.
One of the early comments on these forums was a rather derogatory ‘do they do anything or are they just tacked on’
Hint, there is no rear wing and these cars are supposed to be capable of 300 km/h. As others have mentioned theyre also hoping to provide closer racing, where the increasingly agressive aero in other series has done the opposite.
swh1386 (@swh1386)
23rd March 2018, 14:32
I think it looks great… aside from the halo, and I’m not sold on the rear V wing yet. But look at that monster diffuser! Must generate loads of grip!
Compared to the current 2018 F1 stock it looks nicer, cleaner, more sporty.
And we talk about form over function and this design being about pure aesthetic…. when I consider the stepped noses F1 cars have had, the thumb noses, coat hangers, halo… form following function hasn’t always make for great aesthetics!
We talk about declining popularity in motorsports, and engaging a younger generation. The new FE car is the kinda thing that a 5 year old would have a poster of on their bedroom wall! That’s how you engage a younger generation!
JC
23rd March 2018, 16:09
Car looks great. Hope Fe doesn’t go down the route of a stupid illegible “brand” font, on-board cameras with the halo obscuring any view of the track, and 2006 era transparency for the TV graphics that makes times difficult to read against anything other than a black background ….
Ed Marques (@edmarques)
23rd March 2018, 18:37
Car is hideous. Especially the back of it.
Newfangled (@newfangled)
23rd March 2018, 19:05
Looks positively evil from the rear, and clean elsewhere–legions ahead of the increasingly cluttered (again) new generation of Formula 1 cars.