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ABB Formula E Championship Double Header in NYC

July 18, 2019 by ponycargirl 1 Comment

For the third year in a row, the ABB FIA Formula-E Championship took over the cruise terminal in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York for the final two rounds of the 2018-2109 season. The open-wheeled electric racing series started out with a large dose of skepticism from the motorsports world and beyond with the mid-race car switch to accommodate battery depletion. However, this is the first season racing in the Gen2 cars that have enough battery charge to last to the end of the race, thus allowing a shift towards a more traditional pit lane and track layout. Gen2 cars have a top speed of 280km/h (~173 mph), with 0-60 acceleration at about 2.5 seconds. Remaining battery power is tracked on the driver standings during the race, showing most of the competitors with between 1-3% juice remaining at the checkered flag.

The series continues to advance their unique brand melding green power, Silicon Valley tech, and going fast with the new ATTACK MODE feature for the Gen-2 cars. ATTACK MODE is in the same spirit of, for example, IndyCar’s push-to-pass, in that it gives the driver an extra 25 kW of power to drive faster and harder for several laps. In order to get that extra bit of power, the driver has to pilot through the Activation Zone while racing – and teams only get the details an hour before the race start. The caveat is that they have to drive off the racing line in order to activate so it does cost the driver seconds, and if the zone is missed – as happened earlier in the season – those seconds are hard to make up without the extra power. Making everything feel a bit more like TRON, the protective Halo lights up with blue when the car is in ATTACK MODE, and magenta when they are using the FANBOOST.

The addition of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY Championship as a support series has fleshed out race days, giving spectators more sportscar racing and less lukewarm filler of previous years. The Formula-E paddocks are still not accessible for most – with limited viewing even to those with VIP tickets, but the I-PACE paddocks were connected to the E-Village and accessible to all with a ticket regardless of price point. I-PACE paddocks also aren’t like those of other series – missing are the revving engines, exhaust fumes, and clinking of metal as team engineers deftly adjust combustion engines. The quiet, air-conditioned paddocks host dormant sports cars with blinking headlights – more like charging Cybermen than sleeping beasts. Drivers for the first season came from various global series including former Formula E drivers, NASCAR Toyota, LMP2, and perhaps most famously Katherine Legge from IndyCar and the now-defunct Nissan Delta Wing program. The electric race-spec I-PACE shares the 90kWh lithium-ion battery with the production model and can reach a top speed of 121 mph. Up to 20 drivers race for 25 minutes plus one lap.

Formula-E is not without growing pains, though. Following the FIA’s decision in June to ban Nissan’s twin motor powertrains for the 2019-2020 season, NISSAN E.DAMS driver and NYC Race 1 winner Sébastien Buemi said in the post-race press conference, “It’s been a tough season, lots of discussion about our power train… it’s been really political in a bad way from my point of view…. Clearly, you know to finish second in the championship is a good reward for the team, but on the other hand I’m sad that what we used this year will be banned next year. It just disappoints me massively because Formula E is about innovation in power trains and electric mobility.” He explained further, “I just hope in the future, you know, we keep the strengths of Formula E which is to, first of all, look for the sport, you know, and not for your own interests… I’m disappointed in the calling because it’s working very well now and we will not be able to use it. Again, you know, I have to accept it, it’s a decision taken by the FIA… we’ll live with it, it’s motorsport, sometimes it happens, but yeah, it’s a bit disappointing.”

That said, the rules and regulations are otherwise working well, keeping the series competitive (sending some side-eye to you, Formula 1). While Jean-Éric Vergne (DS Techeetah) was ahead in points going into the first race, three other drivers still had the chance to take the championship – Luca di Grassi (Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler), Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans, and Buemi. Unlike last year in NYC when Vergne clinched the championship on day one, Buemi won the Saturday race leaving the championship to be decided by the final race. Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans was second on podium, and António Félix da Costa/ BMW i Andretti Motorsport was third.

Ultimately, Vergne did win the championship on Sunday for the second year in a row after an exciting race that ended with Envision Virgin Racing’s Robin Frijns taking the checkered flag. Alexander Sims – BMW i Andretti Motorsport in second, and Sébastien Buemi rounding out the podium in third.

ABB FIA Formula-E Championship will return to New York City for the 2019-2020 season, but only for one day – the season-ending double header will now go to London. Why, Formula E? New Yorkers finally “got” racing and showed up in droves, and now you leave us? Is it our accents? IS THE RENT JUST TOO DAMN HIGH? London doesn’t have air condition in the subway like we do, I’ve been there, I know this! Well, I’ll still be here in New York next year, taking photos as the series continues to carve out its own niche in the world of Formula racing.




























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The First Ever New York City ePrix

July 20, 2017 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

The Chairman of the Board sings that if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Formula e certainly has made it by doing something no other racing series has, and that is successfully hold a closed-course street race within New York City. And Gotham certainly rolled out the figurative red carpet for the Qualcomm New York City ePrix – a ribbon cutting to open the track, Sir Richard Branson [Virgin Racing] turning on the lights to the Empire State Building, and Alejandro Agag – Founder and CEO – ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange with first season champion Nelson Piquet Jr. Yet to really make an impression on jaded New Yorkers, the weekend of racing would be a double-header – rounds 9 and 10 on the Formula e calendar.

Formula e in New York City 2017

In a conference call with the media before race weekend, Agag and team owner Michael Andretti talked about how the race finally came together for New York City. The series pointedly holds races in cities to promote electric cars and sustainable technology, and the logistics of finding a site in NYC proved itself to be difficult between subways, traffic, accessibility, and power supply. Agag explained, “We go to places where cars are really a problem”. Location after location was looked at, including Liberty State Park across the river in New Jersey, “But we wanted it in New York City, not New Jersey,” said Agag. When the daughter of a New York City official was impressed after coincidentally attending a race in Paris, they suddenly had an enthusiastic ally in city government to ultimately find the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal site. Located in Red Hook with an incredible view of the Statue of Liberty and downtown Manhattan, the temporary track was set up on on the terminal roads with the terminal itself being used for the exclusive VIP club as well as the media center.

Formula e in New York City 2017

Agag is not shy about Formula e’s agenda. Formula e is like every other series in that the impetus to be in motorsport is still race on Sunday, sell on Monday. “We wanted to on the ground floor of new technology,” said Michael Andretti of his team’s involvement, “You’ll see the tech on the road in 10 years. Competition pushes everyone to push the tech further, faster.”  Sustainability is just as important as the tech; the race cars are zero emission vehicles, and the Michelin tires specially engineered for Formula e cars are recycled after the race. (Sorry, trophy hunters, no autographed tires for you.) The e-Village next to the race has a dj with booths touting solar panels, electric cars, and autonomous car tech. Incorporating digital technology in innovative ways helps to draw tech-savvy viewers from outside of the usual motorsport crowd –  new for season three is  “Fan Boost”, a way for fans to vote for their favorite driver through a phone app. On race day, the three drivers with the most votes can use the extra surge of power strategically during the race – blurring the lines a bit between gaming and live racing.

Formula e in New York City 2017

Many people comment that the races must be boring because the cars are so quiet – and hearing roaring engines is one of the cool things about racing, right? Well sure, but the cars are louder than you may think. Granted, there is no constant roar; you hear the TIE fighter like whoosh about twenty seconds before the car appears. The upside is that the tire squealing is much more apparent, and every tight turn sounds like it must be a crash because every bump is heard – but it’s just the usual racing and rubbing. Yet Formula e is still dogged by the perception that it is not “real racing,” especially because in its current format, driver switch cars halfway through. Seeing it in person dispels that myth – the races are pretty cool to watch, with cars reaching speeds of 140 mph and as much bumping as any other series. One security guard started laughing during the practice session, saying, “This is crazy!” Translated from New Yorker, it means “This is really cool.” Spotted  over the weekend was Leonoardo DiCaprio, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, and even Magnus Walker checking out the races.

So – to the races! Fortunately, the sun came out after a rain-soaked practice Friday. The circuit was very similar to the narrow Hong Kong circuit with tight chicanes. The current leader, Sebastiaen Buemi, was unfortunately racing in WEC 6 Hours of Nurburgring the same weekend as the NYC ePrix. Taking his place on the Renault e.dams team was Pierre Gasly. Its’ Mahindra Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist’s first season with Formula e, and he was one to watch as placed third in his second race. Alex Lynn, standing in for Jose Maria Lopez on the DS Virgin Racing team, grabbed pole position in his first race in the series. Ultimately, Techeetah drivers Stephane Sarrazin and Jean-Eric Vergne placed 3rd and 2nd, respectively, and DS Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird took the win.

Formula e in New York City 2017

Round 10 on Sunday was a sweltering hot day. Sam Bird took P1. Yellow flags came out several times as cars kept hitting the wall at Turn 5. Mahindra racing claimed two positions on the podium – Nick Heidfeld and Felix Rosenqvist, and once again, Sam Bird was in the number one spot on the podium for DS Virgin Racing.

Formula e in New York City 2017

The future of the series looks brighter than a recyclable fluorescent bulb – with Volvo’s recent announcement that they will soon only manufacture electric cars exclusively, it will be interesting to see what manufacturers will join Jaguar, Renault, Mahindra, BMW…

The final two races of the season will be in Montreal, Canada – another double header July 29 and 30, 2007.

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017
Formula e in New York City 2017

Formula e in New York City 2017

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EVs on Parade for Earth Day

May 6, 2012 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

Things have been typically busy in NYC, but I slowed my breakneck pace for a few hours for a special parade for Earth Day, celebrated April 22. The first of its kind, I believe, as it was a parade of electric and hybrid vehicles – dubbed the CO2 E Drive – in the heart of Times Square. New York City under Mayor Mike Bloomberg has steadily added such vehicles to various fleets from the Parks Department, to the Taxi and Limousine Commission to, yes, even the New York Police Department. [Read more…]

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NAIAS 2009: Chrysler reveals Circuit EV

January 11, 2009 by Gary Grant 2 Comments

In these days of forced political correctness in the automotive world, I’m almost embarrassed to say that the very concept of electric cars leaves me cold. They have a place deep within urban settings and it is fun to be silently motivated, but there is something missing from the emotional equation. Noise, smells, vibrations all go into the visceral experience that is the automobile. Electric cars just don’t have it.

Even still, the traditional Big 3 know they have to lead the way to the near future if they are to not only survive, but to wrangle public opinion into their corner. All 3 seem to have come out of their Detroit corner swinging today with a barrage of Electric Vehicles. While all are important and somewhat interesting, there is only one that has made this gearhead look twice. The Dodge Circuit EV.

Absolutely, drop dead gorgeous! What an incredibly sexy machine yet I have to admit that I can’t bring myself to read all the gory details, because no matter how fast it is it will still be silent. The highlights? Sub 5 second zero to sixty. 13 second 1/4 mile. 120 mph top speed. Even the 200 mile range is pretty impressive, but….

What about the soundtrack?

Regardless, if Chrysler can make this and their other EV’s really work in the real world they could just lead the way through this crisis.

Read the press release and see more of the dead sexy Circuit after the break
[Read more…]

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