Formula E’s Attack Charge concept will finally be trialled in a mock race during pre-season testing next month, with the FIA claiming the “technology is working”.
One of the longest-running sagas of Formula E’s Gen3 era has surrounded fast-charging pitstops, which could appear later this season, having already been tested extensively during the off-season by teams.
The concept, where drivers would be required to pit during a race for approximately 30 seconds and receive a charge of power equal to 10% of the battery, was initially slated for the start of the Gen3 era in 2023.
This was pushed back by a year due to the introduction of the new machines, which put a strain on available parts and the general Formula E infrastructure, with testing of the technology taking place at various points last season in official practice sessions.
The fast-charging, which could eventually have a huge impact for electric vehicle consumers if successful, was never implemented in a race due to reliability concerns that have since been addressed ahead of the Gen3 Evo era.
“It came with big challenges; it’s not only pushing boundaries on the charger side but also on the battery side,” FIA Head of Championship for Formula E, Pablo Martino, told Motorsport.com.
“Through all the summer period this year, the manufacturers have had access to this technology, so they have been testing with that technology in place.
“They have performed quite a relevant amount of charging already. The technology is there, the technology is working.
“There are just a few operational corrections that need to be addressed, but nothing related to the technicality.
“On how the system is operated, that part is something that is currently in the last phase of sign-off, let’s say, in terms of technology.”
Pablo Martino, FIA
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Teams have been able to use the charge boosters during testing to work on the procedure from an operational perspective, with further running now set to take place at pre-season testing in Valencia.
The four-day test, which gets under way on 4 November, will include a mock race with the fast-charging pitstops set to feature, giving teams and the FIA the chance to see the technology used in a dynamic race situation.
Teams simulated pitstops during the same mock race in pre-season last year, but the technology was not used due to unreliability and safety concerns at the time.
“From an operational point of view, we’re pretty close,” adds McLaren chief engineer Albert Lau.
“But we just haven’t had, I guess, the volume of boost charges that would for me sign it off to the point where we’re happy that it’s all OK.
“You’re talking about a boost charge per race, per car, and you add that up; you need hundreds of boost charges signed off before you’re going to go into a season.
“You don’t go to Le Mans and do a 24-hour test. You’ve done a 36-hour test beforehand and it’s the same thing for this.”
However, even if the technology proves reliable and teams are up to speed with it operationally, there’s no guarantee that it will be implemented for the upcoming season.
Martino admits that further simulation and research will need to take place to ensure that adding the procedure into a race won’t diminish the spectacle or create any additional issues.
“There is also an exercise that needs to be understood, which is how this attack charge affects the race,” he said.
“This is something that needs to be captured, so even if the technology is there, we need to understand what’s going to happen in races. That will also be taken into account for a final decision.”