Audi Takes On The Formula E Electric Racing World
Having been a strong competitor in so much of the motor sport sphere for decades, Audi is now setting its sights on the Formula E racing series. Given how it dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans from the early 2000s until its withdrawal in 2016, there is excitement and expectation for how Audi will perform in the electric car realm.
While it hasn’t fielded a full-blown electric racing car to date, in 2012 the Audi R18 e-tron quattro was the first hybrid electric vehicle to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This bodes well for the team and the future. Audi isn’t joining Formula E cold though, as it currently takes part in the series through a partnership deal with the Abt Schaeffler team. Next season, Abt will become responsible for the maintenance of the cars and other aspects, while the technical development and the racing team will be taken care of by Audi.
A first for a German automaker
The automaker will be the first of the German car manufacturers to have a Formula E team. It will be joining esteemed company with automakers such as Renault and Jaguar already fielding teams. The move goes to show the huge drive that automakers are making in the direction of electric vehicles.
Audi isn’t entering into the foray until the new season kicks off in Hong Kong on December 4, but you can still follow the Formula E action for the rest of this season. The next event takes place on 15th and 16th of July in NYC, with another following in Montreal later in the month. The Montreal event also coincides with another Smart Cities Startup contest, the competition designed to find and fund the most promising startups that are addressing the problems presented by increasing urbanization.
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