Prost takes first US Formula E race

Formula E cars battle for positions at the start of the FIA Formula E Championship race in Miami, Florida March 14, 2015. REUTERS/Javier Galeano (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT MOTORSPORT) - RTR4TDGD

Formula E cars battle for positions at the start of the FIA Formula E Championship race in Miami, Florida March 14, 2015. REUTERS/Javier Galeano (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT MOTORSPORT) - RTR4TDGD

Published Mar 17, 2015

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Miami, Florida - Thousands of fans turned out on Saturday for the first Formula E electric car race in the United States, with organisers saying the race along downtown Miami's bayfront would help boost more energy efficient mainstream automobile technology.

Virgin Racing team owner Richard Branson told a media briefing before the race: “Formula E will pioneer technology that will be used in normal road cars.

“I hope 10 years from now the smell of exhausts from cars will be a thing of the past as much as the smell of cigarettes in restaurants.”

Miami is the fifth of 10 cities around the world to host races for the inaugural year of the Formula E championship, launched in Beijing in September 2014.

So far, Formula E has offered the same, albeit quieter, thrills as the popular Formula One events, with low-slung, open-wheeled cars capable of speeds as high as 220km/h.

The cars make a high-pitched whistling sound, a bit like a dentist's drill.

The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile which organises the races and also oversees Formula One, has attracted sponsors such as tyre company Michelin and courier service DHL, hoping the series will help the development of mainstream electric cars.

CAR-SWOP PIT STOPS

Managing director of DHL motorsports Pier Luigi Ferrari said: “The technology improves unbelievably once these big companies start investing in research.”

All the cars have identical chassis and drivetrain, as well as a massive lithium-ion battery pack that makes up a third of the car's weight. Limited battery life forces drivers to change cars mid-race into a second, fully charged car.

The series will become an open championship in 2015, allowing eight manufacturers to pursue their own designs. They will be limited at first to the drivetrain; the e-motor, the inverter, the gearbox and the cooling system.

All other elements will remain the same to prevent costly competition over aerodynamic design.

Branson said he was excited by the technology advances that he predicted would come out of Formula E, such as increased battery energy density, more efficient drivetrains, and wireless “inductive” charging systems.

“Every team next year will be working hard to beat each other and all that manpower, finance and energy will produce breakthroughs and make a big difference to normal battery-driven cars,” he said.

Saturday's race was won by e.dams-Renault driver Nicolas Prost, son of former Formula 1 great Alain Prost.

Reuters

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