All-electric racing may not be taking off at the same rate as EV road car sales but, over the past decade, motorsport has provided a valuable proving ground for the technology. Though the spotlight is often turned on hardware, the honing of energy management strategies is just as important.
In a previous issue of Racecar Engineering, we discussed the challenge of energy management in Formula 1 hybrid systems but, if one looks to pure electric racing, and Formula E in particular, it is energy management throughout a race that ultimately determines the winners and losers.
Of course, hardware has a crucial role to play. In the case of Formula E, the battery is a fixed quantity, but teams are allowed to develop the rest of the powertrain. This has seen everyone settle on a single motor (now by regulation) solution, coupled with a single-speed transmission.
It would appear the entire field also uses radial flux motor technology, which, within the constraints of the regulations, provides the best compromise between motor efficiency, power density and packaging.
Similarly, silicon carbide power electronics are the go-to solution, again thanks to their efficiency and ability to support very high switching frequencies. The result being that Formula E cars operate at efficiency levels of around 98 per cent.
This means hardware gains, though achievable, are hard to find. However, gaining advantage through the strategic use of available energy throughout a race remains
