With electrification in the auto industry accelerating, it’s only a matter of time before motorsports sees an increased presence of electrically-powered cars. In fact, the first all-electric championships are already running, the longest to date being Formula E for single-seaters which began in 2014. This year, Extreme E has started as an electric version of the Dakar Rally.
However, Formula E and Extreme E are like Formula 1 in that the racing cars are very different from road-legal cars. Now, the FIA has announced the creation of all-new technical regulations for electric-powered GT cars, featuring several technical innovations, including fast charging.
“The market for high-performance electric road supercars is on a constant rise, hence a platform to allow manufacturers to develop and showcase their technology was much needed. Creating these technical regulations has been a key project for the FIA GT Commission over the last 18 months. We’ve held regular discussions with GT manufacturers through our Technical Working Groups and there’s keen interest in this new category. It also widens the FIA’s GT portfolio, coexisting alongside with GT3 which will remain the focus of the customer racing market worldwide for the time being,” said Leena Gade, FIA GT Commission President.
This pioneering concept embodies a unique combination of innovations never before seen in motorsport to date and is intended to serve manufacturers as a platform to develop technology relevant to their high-performance roadcars. The cars built to this set of technical regulations will compete at full-length permanent circuits and will set new standards for electric vehicles in motorsport in terms of performance and range.
This new breed of racing cars will operate in a similar performance window to the current generation of GT3 cars but will exceed their combustion engine-powered counterparts in areas such as acceleration and qualifying pace.
Cutting edge tech with cost control
The new class is based on direct manufacturer involvement, with the technical regulations prepared to achieve the right balance between permitting the carmakers and constructors to express themselves in terms of creativity and developing cutting-edge technology while, at the same time, preventing cost escalation.
The category will be open to both specialists in electric vehicle construction without previous combustion engine motorsport experience as well as manufacturers already committed to the GT3 class, who will be able to utilise the architecture and certain design elements of their existing cars and convert them to electric power.
Depending on the base model, the minimum weight of the cars will vary from 1,490 to 1,530 kgs, with maximum power reaching 430kW (equivalent to 585 bhp). Setting the weight threshold higher than it is for the GT3 class will limit the use of expensive materials.
Fast charging
The new class will be the first in electric-powered motorsport not to rely on standardised batteries. It will accommodate cars of vastly different architectures with different spaces available to install key components.
Through partnership with industry-leading firm Saft, a subsidiary of Total, the category will allow the manufacturers to build their own bespoke battery layouts based on Saft-supplied cells. Relying on Saft’s 100 years of experience in areas such as aeronautics, space programmes, defence and motor sport, Saft has developed bespoke lithium-ion pouch cells optimised for the needs of the new class.
The cells are designed to allow for 700 kW peak regen and 700 kW fast recharging that will enable them to replenish to 60% of their capacity within a few minutes during a mid-race pit stop. The charging network will be developed to meet the fast charging requirements and, depending on the venue, will include elements of permanent and temporary infrastructure.
Road relevance
In addition to fast charging, the category will feature several other innovations relevant from a technology transfer standpoint. All of the manufacturers will have the freedom of choosing their own powertrain set-ups – either two or four electric motors – with both 2 and 4-wheel-drive configurations allowed.
The cars will also feature dynamic vehicle control that will automatically adjust the torque of each wheel independently based on speed, acceleration, traction and steering angle, thus ensuring that can have supreme handling characteristics.
Sustainable long-term vision
The introduction of this new concept is in line with the FIA’s long-term vision for the implementation of sustainable energy sources across its portfolio of motorsport disciplines, thus setting an example in the approach to the reduction of CO₂ emission while, at the same time, reflecting the latest trends in the automotive industry and responding to the demands of the market.
“The role of electric propulsion in automotive industry is ever-increasing; as we want motorsport to be relevant to our industry, more and more competitions are going in this direction. The main technical challenges are battery development, battery integration in the cars and fast charging technology. This is crucial to the manufacturers who want to develop road-relevant technology rather than relying on standard components. Also, being able to utilise and adapt GT3 platform ensures that costs are under control,” said Xavier Mestelan Pinon, FIA Technical Director.
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