Formula E: Mahindra Racing to power championship-winning team ABT Sportsline in Gen3
After eight years of competing at the highest level, Mahindra Racing – the Greenest Team in Motorsport – has announced its first customer racing program. The Indian team, which has been net carbon zero since inception, has committed to providing the powertrain to FIA ABB Formula E World Championship-winning team ABT Sportsline for its return to the all-electric racing series.
From 2023, Formula E teams will race identical-looking Gen3 machines, with manufacturers developing the electric drivetrain that can then be made available for privateer teams. A pair of Mahindra Racing powered by ZF Gen3 cars are due to arrive in ABT Sportsline’s facilities in Kempten in October – in the meantime, ABT engineers are working with the Banbury-based team on software, set-up and simulation, as well as joining for test days.
Dilbagh Gill CEO and Team Principal at Mahindra Racing commented: “ABT Sportsline is one of the top-level race outfits in the world and we’ve long-enjoyed racing competitively against them. It’s an honor to be able to take our powertrain, developed in partnership with ZF, and support the team in its return to the FIA ABB Formula E World Championship. Both Mahindra Racing and ABT Sportsline were championship founding teams and its absence in the paddock has been felt hugely. We look forward to seeing the team back winning races from 2023 and we are committed to supporting them with whatever they need to succeed.”
Thomas Biermaier, CEO at ABT Sportsline, adds: “As a customer team, we also want to bring our experience from seven years of Formula E with over 80 races and over a decade of electric mobility at ABT Sportsline to the partnership. We are looking forward to this new Allgäu-India connection and are grateful that Mahindra Racing and its partners are supporting us in our comeback in Formula E. Mahindra and ABT have a long history together: both brands were founding members of Formula E almost a decade ago, have had many great battles and have jointly driven the development of the series off the track. Now we are continuing our journey within an intense technical collaboration.”
Since its inception almost eight years ago, Formula E has completed 96 races on the streets of some of the most iconic cities in the world including New York City, Monaco, Berlin, Paris, Beijing and Buenos Aires. As one of the founding teams of the world’s first all-electric street racing series, Mahindra Racing – the only net carbon zero since inception motorsport team in the world – has competed in every round.
Mahindra Racing joins Porsche and Nissan in providing powertrains to Formula E’s privateer teams from next season, with Porsche supporting Andretti and Nissan working with McLaren.
The full 2023 FIA Formula E World Championship calendar:
Jan 14: Mexico City
Jan 27 – 28: Diriyah (x2)
Feb 11: Hyderabad
Feb 25: TBD (Potentially Cape Town)
Mar 11: TBD (Potentially Sanya)
Mar 25: Sao Paulo
Apr 22: Berlin
May 6: Monaco
May 20 – 21: Seoul (x2)
Jun 3 – 4: Jakarta (x2)
Jun 24: TBD (Possible US race)
Jul 15 – 16: Rome (x2)
Jul 29 – 30: London (x2)
Gen3 M9Electro Facts:
FASTEST: Top speed: 200mph / 320 kph.
MOST POWERFUL: Max Power: 350kw /470bhp (up from Gen 2 250kw / 335bhp).
LIGHTEST: 840kgs (Over 60kg lighter than Gen2)
Powertrain: The first ever Formula car with both front and rear powertrains. (A new front powertrain adds 250kW to the 350kW at the rear, more than doubling the regenerative capability of the current Gen2 car to a total of 600kW).
Fast charge: designed to take a 600kW ultra-high-speed charge for additional energy within race (almost double the energy of the most advanced commercial chargers in the world).
Regenerative braking: The first formula car that will not feature rear hydraulic brakes with the addition of the front powertrain and its regenerative capability. More than 40% of the power used by the car in a race is generated by the car during the race.
Software engineering: a new key battleground for performance upgrades through software updates delivered directly to the car’s advanced operating system.
Motor efficiency: electric motor achieves over 95% power efficiency vs c.40% for an internal combustion engine.
Batteries: Amongst the most advanced, sustainable batteries ever made consisting of sustainably-sourced minerals while battery cells will be reused and recycled at end of life.
Bodywork: Linen and recycled carbon fiber will be used for the first time in a formula car in bodywork construction featuring recycled carbon fiber from retired Gen2 cars. All waste carbon fiber will be reused for new applications through adoption of an innovative process from the aviation industry.
Tires: Natural rubber and recycled fibers will make up 26% of new Gen3 tires. All tires will be fully recycled after racing.
Suppliers: All Gen3 suppliers must operate in line with top international standards to reduce environmental impacts of manufacturing (ISO 14004) and are FIA Environmental Accreditation 3-Star rated.
Race to road: Road relevant areas of car are focus for development by teams and manufacturers.