Audi has unveiled its first factory entry for the Formula E championship – the Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler e-tron FE04.
Designed and developed in conjunction with its technical partner Schaeffler, Audi has made a new powertrain with only one gear to reduce complexity and improve power efficiency.
This is also part of the company’s development of all-electric and hybrid road cars, with Audi hoping to have 20 electrified models by 2025.
Formula E teams are allowed to develop the motor, transmission, suspension elements and software, with all of the chassis being developed by Dallara and Spark Racing Technology. The 28Kwh battery that holds the charge for the cars is developed by Williams Advanced Engineering.
The livery is also different from last year, as the green, yellow and red paintwork has been replaced by a predominantly white and green look with driver designation at the top of the car.
Brazilian driver and defending Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi and German youngster Daniel Abt will be behind the wheel of the two cars for this season. Scottish former racing driver and Audi representative Allan McNish will be the team principal from this season onwards.
Peter Mertens, Audi’s member of the board for technical development, said: “After nearly 40 years of being successfully active in motorsport on the highest level, Audi now becomes the first German automobile manufacturer to compete in Formula E in order to test and advance the development of new technologies for production.
“Following quattro, TFSI, TDI, hybrid drive and many other innovations, our first single-seater race car is a portent of our product offensive in the field of electric mobility that we are bringing in with the Audi e-tron in 2018.”
The fourth season of Formula E will begin in Hong Kong on December 2, with the championship taking place over 14 races in 12 cities. The final rounds are to be held in Montreal on July 28 and 29 2018.
