BMW: Formula E has served its purpose 🎥
FOCUS ON SERIES PRODUCTION After seven years, the BMW Group will end its involvement in Formula E after the 2021 season. The possibility of technology transfer in the development of e-drives has almost been exhausted. The highlights of the 2019/20 season, which ended in August, from a BMW perspective. It brought victories for both drivers. As a partner of the first [...]
The highlights of the 2019/20 season that ended in August from a BMW perspective. It brought victories for both drivers.
As a partner from the very beginning, BMW has consistently supported the Formula E project and played a key role in its success story. With the BMW i Andretti Motorsport Team, BMW is competing for victories and podium places in the Formula E Championship, which will be held as the FIA World Championship for the first time in 2021. At the same time, it has always been a technology laboratory for the series for the BMW Group from the very beginning.
Technology Transfer exhausted
The same engineers who develop the drivetrains for the electrified production vehicles are also responsible for the drivetrains of the racing cars.
Examples of the successful technology transfer between the Formula E project and series development include new findings in terms of energy management and energy efficiency, the transfer of power electronics software from racing to series production and an improvement in the power density of the electric motor.
The BMW Group has now largely exhausted the possibilities of this technology transfer in the development of e-drives in the Formula E competitive environment.
Change of strategy
The BMW Group is also shifting its strategic focus on e-mobility. In future, the focus will be more on the comprehensive scaling of the range and global series production.
The fifth generation of electric drives is already on the road in the BMW iX3. Its use in the BMW iX and BMW i4 models is imminent, with further all-electric models to follow.
The BMW Group plans to have one million electrified vehicles on the road by the end of 2021 and seven million electrified vehicles by 2030, two thirds of which will be fully electric.
Full e-power ahead once again
Since joining the factory in Season 5, BMW i Andretti Motorsport has celebrated four wins, four pole positions and nine podium finishes in 24 races to date.
In the seventh Formula E season, which starts in Santiago de Chile in mid-January 2021, the team intends to give its all on the race track to achieve as many further sporting successes as possible with the BMW iFE.21. The drivers are Maximilian Günther and Jake Dennis.
The newcomer from Great Britain replaces his compatriot Alexander Sims. Dennis drove Aston Martin in the DTM with R-Motorsport in 2019 and is currently a simulator and development driver at Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.
