Jaguar Magazine DESIGN – English

M OTO RSPORT FOUR

M OTO RSPORT FOUR FORMULA E FACTS... Formula E brings back racing to some of the world’s greatest cities. In the last two seasons, Beijing, Mexico City, London, Paris and Moscow have all been iconic backdrops to the sporting spectacle TWO CARS PER RACE As in Formula 1, race cars don’t have enough fuel, or in Formula E’s case battery power, to complete a whole race. Currently in Formula E, teams swap whole cars halfway through, but… BATTERY BOOST …projected improved battery life will see Formula E employ just a single car per race from 2018. Which bodes well for electric production cars FAN BOOST An unusual extra part of Formula E allows fans to make their favourite drivers go faster. Prior to each event fans vote via social media and the top three are then given extra electric power to use like a ‘joker card’ during the race. Be sure to vote Jaguar! See fiaformulae.com E HERO AS JAGUAR ANNOUNCES EXCITING PLANS TO RETURN TO RACING IN THE ALL-ELECTRIC FORMULA E RACE SERIES, J-MAGAZINE TALKS EXCLUSIVELY WITH TEAM DIRECTOR JAMES BARCLAY TO EXPLAIN WHY, AND WHAT’S NEXT… WORDS: Guy Bird 16 j THE DESIGN ISSUE

We have an exciting future and electrification is part of the strategy so by entering into Formula E we’re confirming that,” enthuses James Barclay, Jaguar team director. “The knowledge and expertise within our research & development team are going to be crucial to success in the programme. In addition we have legendary motorsport team Williams as a supporting technical partner. We’ve already collaborated with them on the 2010 C-X75 concept, they supply the batteries for all the Formula E cars and they’re at the forefront of electric technology. However, it’s a Jaguar racing programme, that’s critical; we are in charge of our destiny.” Barclay is talking about Jaguar’s impending return to racing in the Formula E World Championship this autumn – a competition about to start its third season – and backed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the same motorsport governing body that oversees Formula 1. But why is Jaguar getting involved, and why now? Barclay continues: “It’s about creating awareness of electric vehicles (EVs) and their performance and provides us with a platform to develop electrification technology. The next generation of EVs will have a range to meet most people’s requirements and cover those miles driven energetically too. Psychologically there’s a step change. Many EU countries (including the UK) and US states have agreed to stop building internal combustion engines by 2050 so there’s an endpoint. So it’s about what’s next. If you talk to race engineers they’re incredibly excited about the huge potential for performance and strategy around electric motors. These cars will become very fast. The cool thing about this championship is that it brings racing to the heart of the world’s biggest cities and exposes audiences who wouldn’t traditionally be exposed to motorsport. We believe it will not only appeal to traditional motorsport enthusiasts because of the racing, but also to new fans who will love the technology and the sustainability. “What is incredible is that the racing is only going to get better. Different electric motor and gearbox strategies mean cars will have different performance strengths and weaknesses which will make both the racing and overtaking great. Electric vehicles’ linear acceleration is fast already, and as the technology develops these cars are going to take a major step forward in performance. “Historically, Jaguar’s always gone into racing to improve the breed. The C-Type was the first to employ disc brakes, and the aluminium structures and aerodynamics of racing D-Types also filtered into road-going cars. We could have chosen other forms of motorsport but ultimately, Formula E was the most compelling.” THE DESIGN ISSUE j 17