Formula E Finally Gets Mid-Race Charging, But It Only Took Them a Decade!
Image Credit: FIA.
Formula E, the pinnacle of electric motorsport (or so they say), is finally getting mid-race charging. After years of deliberation, false starts, and enough delays to make a glacier look impatient, the FIA has finally decided to let these battery-powered racers top up their juice mid-race. It's only been a decade since they started talking about it, but who's really counting?
I'm not saying this is a bad idea. In fact, it's about as welcome as a cold beer on a hot Sunday afternoon. But you have to admit, it's a bit like finally getting that kitchen renovation done after years of living with avocado-green appliances. It's great now, but you just can't help but wonder why it took so long.
Rather than dwelling on the past, let's talk about this new "Pit Boost" system, as they call it. It's a 34-second pit stop where the cars get a shot of about 4kWh worth of electric juice. That's just enough to give the battery about a 10% boost. Wait, 10%? That's it? It's not exactly going to turn these cars into Teslas on steroids. But these pit stops are lightning fast. We're talking a 34-second turnaround, which is way faster than the majority of people take to order a cup of coffee.
Image Credit: FIA.
To put things in perspective, let's compare this to one of the most popular road cars out there, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. That little beauty can go from 10% to 80% charge in 18 minutes. But to get that same 10% boost that these Formula E cars are getting, you'd be twiddling your thumbs for about 2.5 minutes. That's five times longer than the Formula E pit stop. So, yeah, these guys are definitely onto something.
Here's the interesting bit - this pit stop is mandatory. Every driver has to take it at some point during the race. And that's where the strategy comes in. Do you take the pit stop early and risk losing your position on the track? Or do you wait until later in the race and hope you have enough juice to make it to the end? It's a gamble, and it's going to make for some interesting racing.
Formula E is hoping that this technology will eventually trickle down to road cars, and I have to say - I can't wait. Being able to pull into a charging station, grab a quick coffee, and be back on the road with a fully charged battery in the time it takes to watch a cat video on YouTube? That's the dream. And Formula E might just be the one to make it a reality.
Image Credit: FIA.
I know, we've heard all this before. But I'm trying to stay positive. This is Formula E we're talking about, the cutting edge of electric motorsport. They've got the technology, they've got the resources, and they've got the ambition. Maybe this time around, they'll actually deliver on their promises.
If you're as curious as I am to see how this all plays out, then mark your calendars for the Jeddah E-Prix on February 14-15. It's a doubleheader race weekend, with night races on both Saturday and Sunday. You won't want to miss it. This is Formula E. It's unpredictable, it's exciting, and it's always got a few surprises up its sleeve.
Maybe this Pit Boost system will be the thing that finally convinces those die-hard petrolheads that electric cars can be just as thrilling as their gas-guzzling counterparts. Or maybe it'll just be another one of those things that sounds great on paper but doesn't quite live up to the hype.
