Automotive

Audi to tackle Formula E with fully-fledged factory team

Audi will be the first German manufacturer to have a factory-backed entry in Formula E
Audi will be the first German manufacturer to have a factory-backed entry in Formula E

Audi has committed to Formula E for the upcoming season, completing its push away from its World Endurance Championship glory days. Having slowly grown its involvement in the sport through ABT Sportsline this year, the company will be the first German manufacturer to line up on the Formula E grid when the season kicks off in December.

Although it offered a significant injection of money and development support into the ABT Sportline team ahead of the (current) 2016/17 Formula E season, the German giant stopped short of becoming a fully-fledged factory entrant. That changes next year, when ABT Sportline becomes Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler.

The team will be taking on the 2017/18 season with a new powertrain, developed in tandem with partner Schaeffler. Although strict regulations limit the potential for significant differences between powertrains, teams are able to tweak their motors, transmissions, software and suspension components.

"Formula E delivers spectacular motorsport in the hearts of fascinating cities and is a tremendous stage to present electric mobility and motorsport in their most emotive forms," says Head of Audi Motorsport, Dieter Gass. "We're currently seeing an extremely exciting season with a gripping title race. I'm happy that now everything has been put on track for a successful future too."

The 2017/18 Formula E season kicks off on December 2 in Hong Kong. The current season continues in New York next week, before winding up in Montreal at the end of the month.

Source: Audi

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3 comments
Jimjam
I've been reading a lot of articles that are getting past the hype phase on electric cars recently. The thrust of these articles is that electric cars are simply like petrol cars that have tanks that take 1 hour to fill at specialist service stations, making them unsuitable for the average person who wants to drive intercity occasionally, and stressful for people who commute within cities and may have to drive further than planned one day.
Perhaps the real way to deal with pollution/global warming would be mild hybrids where the ICE runs on ammonia produced in a melt down proof 4th generation molten salt reactor? Formula E would also be more interesting with refueling.
McDesign
"Formula E delivers SPECTACULAR motorsport in the hearts of FASCINATING cities and is a TREMENDOUS stage to present electric mobility and motorsport in their MOST emotive forms," says Head of Audi Motorsport, Dieter Gass. "We're currently seeing an EXTREMELY exciting season with a GRIPPING title race. I'm happy that now everything has been put on track for a successful future too."
OK - so you're saying it's exciting?
Future3000
Formula E could be the best and advanced race class ever... but it's totally scrap! All important things are restricted: - power and KWh of batteries, - power of electric motor (one), - a small "booster" gadget, voted by audience, If Formula E is not limited, in 2 years we would have cheap, lightweight 4 WD direct driven electric cars, 2.000 km range, 10 minutes to recharge, same price or lower as combustion engine cars.... But Formula E is a fully castrated money milking fig leaf excuse for automotive industry! Prevents a small team can build a successful e-drive and blame rest of Trillion dollar industry!