C-rate expectations
Like it or not, traction batteries – those which help propel a vehicle, rather than just power its electronics – are an ever-growing part of the motorsport landscape. From the fully electric drivetrains found in Formula E and Extreme E, to the hybrid systems of Formula 1, the WEC, WRC and BTCC, to name but a few. Consequently, development of motorsportspecific battery systems is on the rise.
All this should come as little surprise, given the momentum behind both the political and industrial drive towards electric vehicles (EVs), with manufacturers keen to bestow some degree of environmental credence on their motorsport activities. It is also the case that increasing electrification provides racing with an opportunity to retain technological relevance as a proving ground for next generation technologies.
It would be easy to dismiss this last facet, but there are already many examples of electrification technology forged in competition aiding development in other areas. Take Formula E as an example. While battery technology is fixed, manufacturers are open about the fact they learn lessons related to energy management and software development, and deploy that knowledge within their road car programmes.
Meanwhile, companies such as Williams Advanced Engineering, recently acquired by Australian mining behemoth, Fortescue, will soon see its motorsport-developed battery technology deployed in mining applications, thanks in part to experience gained developing battery systems in Extreme E.
In the passenger car segment, Tesla rival, Lucid, has an engineering team peppered with motorsport engineers, and has used this experience to push the efficiency and performance of its debut model, the Air, to levels previously unseen in production cars.
The key areas of development when it comes to motorsport, or any vehicle, batteries can be broken down as follows: battery
