Formula E electrifies France’s capital city from Schaeffler

• Eighth round of the fully electric racing series’ season

• Championship battle as close as never before

• Paris is a good track for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler

For its fourth visit to Paris, Formula E promises more competition than ever before. The first seven races this season have seen seven different winners in the cars of seven different manufacturers. “The high level of suspense this racing series delivers with the cars of the second Formula E generation is fantastic,” says Prof. Peter Gutzmer, Deputy CEO and Chief Technology Officer of the Schaeffler Group. “In doing so, Formula E emphasizes its pioneering role in innovative motor racing and is a perfect ambassador of mobility for tomorrow.”

The Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler is traveling to Paris with fond memories. In 2016, Lucas di Grassi won Formula E’s first race in France’s capital city. Last year, the Brazilian finished runner-up on the circuit around the Dôme des Invalides.

This is Formula E
Formula E is an FIA-sanctioned motor racing series for fully electric cars. In 2018/2019, Formula E season five, eleven teams and 22 drivers are on the grid. Formula E races worldwide on temporary circuits in the hearts of metropolises such as Hong Kong, Berlin and New York City. From December 15, 2018, until July 14, 2019, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship is holding 13 rounds at twelve venues. Each race lasts 45 minutes, plus one lap.

Schaeffler in Formula E
Schaeffler is one of the co-founders and one of the most notable and successful players in Formula E, which was established in 2014. In 2016/2017, Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler won the drivers’ title (Lucas di Grassi) and in 2017/2018, the teams’ title (Lucas di Grassi/Daniel Abt). Schaeffler has been contributing its know-how to the development of the powertrain of Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s race cars since 2015. In doing so, the company demonstrates its expertise in forward-thinking technologies and presents ideas for sustainable mobility for tomorrow in the innovative electric racing series as well.

The new Formula E technology
In season five, Formula E is entering its second era. The most conspicuous innovation for 2018/2019 going forward: Every driver has only one race car anymore. The reason is that the second-generation cars mark the end of the mid-race car swaps previously required at each Formula E event because the battery capacity is now sufficient for the entire race distance. New as well starting this season is the cars’ futuristic design without a rear wing, plus the Halo protection system above the cockpit.

The new Audi e-tron FE05 was meticulously developed by Audi Sport and Schaeffler with the new technical and strategic challenges in mind. The motor-generator unit named Audi Schaeffler MGU03, the centerpiece of the Audi e-tron FE05, was jointly developed by the two technology partners. 95 percent of all powertrain components are new, having resulted in weight savings of ten percent. Two Audi e-tron FE05 cars are fielded by the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler factory team for Lucas di Grassi and Daniel Abt.