On March 14, the 2015 FIA Formula E Miami ePrix, the fifth round of the world’s first fully-electric racing series, will kick-off and bring street racing back to the metro Florida area for the first time in a decade. And, lucky for you, Tier10 will be there to cover all the action.
Kick-started in Beijing in September 2014, the Formula E is a new FIA single-seater racing series for fully-electric vehicles that “aims to represent a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a framework for R&D around the electric vehicle, accelerating general interest in these cars and promoting clean energy and sustainability.” The racing series focuses on “energy, environment and entertainment” while mixing technology, engineering, science, design, sport and music.
Formula E takes place in some of the world’s leading cities, including Moscow, Berlin, and London, with two U.S. cities (the other being Long Beach, CA). The races take place over one day with ten teams (two drivers each) competing on temporary city-center circuits. The Miami ePrix temporary city-center circuit located in Downtown Miami spans 2.17km, features eight corners (some at 90 degrees), and stretches along the coast of Biscayne Bay and around the AmericanAirlines Arena, home to the Miami Heat.
The cars, specifically established for Formula E, are built by French-company Spark Racing Technology, led by Frédéric Vasseur. The chassis, which are made from carbon fiber and aluminum, are built by Italian-firm Dallara, who has more than 40 years of motorsport experience and is the world’s biggest specialist manufacturer of racing cars. McLaren Electronics Systems – leader in high-performance technology for motorsport – provides the electric powertrain and electronics, while Williams Advanced Engineering – the sister company of the famous Formula 1 team – provides the batteries that have 28KW/h of energy and produce a maximum of 270 bhp. This system is coupled with a five-speed paddle shift sequential gearbox with fixed ratios to help reduce costs that is provided by Hewland. The 18-inch treaded tires, designed to perform in both wet and dry conditions, were developed by Michelin. Renault, leader of electric vehicles and an expert in motorsport thanks to its Renault Sport Technologies and Renault Sport F1 programs, oversees all system and component integrations.
Season two of the Formula E will allow teams and manufacturers the chance to show off their own innovations within the FIA technical specifications. Teams will focus more on enhancing and developing powertrains and battery technology and innovations with the hope of it being adopted into the consumer electric vehicle market.
Unlike traditional races, the Formula E invites the audience to interact and influence the outcome of the race using FanBoost. Through the FanBoost website or app, fans can vote for their favorite drivers. The three drivers with the most votes win FanBoost and will receive an extra speed boost, increasing the vehicle’s power from 200bhp to 240bhp for five seconds.
“The interesting thing is, I grew up in Southern Florida and my dad was a Nissan dealer, so the Nissan Grand Prix was huge for me … I grew up going to the races and now to be able to go back in a media position is very exciting,” said Scott Rodgers, Tier10’s chief creative officer. “We have the opportunity and life is about taking opportunities.”
Check back for updates as Tier10 will be on-site to cover the race. The actual race starts at 4 p.m. EST.
For more information, visit the FIA Formula E website here
More information about the Miame ePrix, click here
