is an all-electric racing series while Formula 1 showcases hybrid racers with internal combustion engines powered by fossil fuels. Formula 1 had its inaugural season in 1950, while Formula E made its debut in 2014. Show
Are Formula 1 cars faster than Formula E cars?Yes, Formula 1 cars are faster - although thanks to constant technological innovation, they are not that much faster than today's Formula E cars. According to a November 2022 article in Autosport, the top race speed ever reached by a Formula 1 car - during the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix - is 372.5 km/h (compared to a fastest-ever recorded speed of 397.36 km/h), while the latest Formula E car - the Gen3 of 2022 - reaches a top speed of 322 km/h. Another way to compare Formula E vs F1 cars is in their rate of acceleration: the first can go from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds while the second performs the same feat in 2.6 seconds. A gap that will surely close soon. What is Attack Mode in Formula E and how does it differ from DRS in Formula 1?One of the most exciting moments during any car race - for both drivers and viewers - is when one driver attempts to overtake another. Both Formula 1 and Formula E cars offer technological solutions that enable their drivers to squeeze out a little extra juice when needed. In the case of Formula 1, the solution is called DRS. What is DRS in F1? It stands for Drag Reduction System. But exactly how does it work? This is a system whereby - at the press of a button - the driver can open the car’s rear wing by almost half. This decreases the wing's wind resistance, giving the car a temporary speed boost - essential during overtaking. It is an aerodynamic twitch; not the result of a surge in engine power. Formula E has its own version of DRS, except it's called Formula E Attack Mode. What exactly is Attack Mode in Formula E? Just like in its petrol-powered racing competition cousin, Attack Mode in Formula E is a way for racers to gain a little extra speed for daring overtaking maneuvers, but in this case it’s a matter of boosting power for a determined period of time. But how does Attack Mode work in Formula E? Generally speaking, on every Formula E circuit there is a specially designated Attack Mode zone where racers are allowed to temporarily boost their power by 50 kW by pressing a button on their steering wheel. The rules governing Attack Mode are quite strict and can change from circuit to circuit, which means teams must come up with race strategies at the last minute, adding to the excitement and variability between races. Will Formula E replace Formula 1?Formula E is not intended to rival Formula 1. Rather, its founding mission is to accelerate the transition to zero emissions mobility by testing new technologies on the race track before rolling them out for public use. Formula E partners with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to spotlight the benefits of the global shift to e-mobility. This fits in with the Enel X commitment to a better, cleaner future for all. Supercars Championship powerbrokers have made a conscious effort to ensure top speeds don’t increase as part of a mass reduction in downforce for Gen3. Two core pillars of the Gen3 philosophy are lowering costs and facilitating better racing – and the restriction of top speeds caters at least to the former. Supercars typically peak around the 300km/h down Conrod Straight at Mount Panorama, the fastest section of track the championship visits. With plans to cut current downforce levels by 67 percent for the new Mustangs and Camaros, drag levels will be dramatically slashed. As Supercars head of motorsport Adrian Burgess observed, “if we left the current power unit in the Gen3 car, [top speed] would be substantially over 300km/h”. That’s not something that is desired. “We have always worked on the fact that we don’t want the cars going over 300km/h down Conrod,” Burgess told Speedcafe.com. “So when we have targeted the downforce number that we believe we can get to and when we’ve worked on our projected minimum weight of the car, you also factor in where you would like to be in terms of manufacturers being able to bring a wider range of engine configurations to us. “We aren’t going to stick in a V8 still doing 650bhp because those engines are so highly stressed and so highly developed that that’s why they are expensive to run and maintain. “By bringing the horsepower number down roughly 50bhp, combine that with less downforce, you still need to have a reasonable amount of drag on the car or you will be too quick, but it gives us an engine platform that should be easier for more manufacturers, should they arrive, to hit the number.” Therein lies the opportunity to create an “easier and cheaper” engine package for teams to build and operate. “We didn’t really want to move our top speed any higher than that [300km/h mark] because you’re putting more stress into the brakes,” Burgess continued. “There’s a multitude of reasons why, but 300 has been a good number, so we wanted to try to stay around that.” Whether 600bhp ends up being the exact maximum horsepower number settled on is not especially important, Burgess noted. “That’s what we’re working towards and there is a tolerance around that, the same as there is a degree of tolerance where we anticipate the final weight of the car to end up,” he said. “There’s a degree of tolerance around where we end up with downforce – we’re taking that much off the car, we’re not going to be hellbent on whether it’s 135kg or whether it’s 140kg, it will make no difference from where we are coming from. “That will be the same with power, as long as we can get both engines paritised on all of the metrics that we set ourselves. “If it’s 595 or 601 or 602 [bhp], it doesn’t really matter.” Supercars is due to begin Gen3 testing in October, with the 2022 Sydney SuperNight in August next year earmarked for the competitive debut of the next-generation cars. Why do cars have such high top speeds?By making cars that can go 120 mph or faster, there is less strain on the engine at lower speeds, which improves safety and fuel economy. “In order to create seamless shifts all the way up the transmission, it's necessary to increase the top speed,” MotorBiscuit writes. Why does the car eventually reach a maximum speed?A powerful car whose top speed isn't restricted by an onboard computer eventually reaches a speed where the vehicle can't compress any more wind in front of itself. This compression goes up with the square of speed, so that each doubling of speed requires four times as much energy to overcome this effect. Why is there a maximum speed at which a car can travel?This is typically for safety reasons. Many cars are uncontrollable at their natural top speed. Practical limits - the car literally breaks down at a certain speed. The tires overheat, the wheel bearings melt, the engine overheats, etc... Why the car has maximum speed?(c) Explain why the car has a maximum speed. There is a maximum possible forward force provided by the motor. As the speed of the car increases air resistance increases until air resistance is equal in size to that forward force, then the car can no longer accelerate as it has reached its terminal velocity. |
