DALLARA - LONDON (Reuters) 

Italian racecar maker Dallara has joined a consortium to design and build chassis for the new Formula E electric series to start next year.

Spark Racing Technology said in a statement on Monday that Dallara, who have designed and built cars for Formula One and open-wheel series in America, would undertake “the execution and approval of the new monocoque”.

Formula One contenders McLaren will provide the engine, transmission and electronics for the cars to race in the FIA-sanctioned championship that aims to have a grid of 10 teams and 20 drivers in 2014.

The plans are for races in the heart of at least 10 cities around the world with the commercial rights licensed to a Hong Kong-based consortium. Formula E also released a first sketch of the new car.

Britain’s Drayson Racing, run by former Science Minister and businessman Paul Drayson, last month became the first team to sign up for the series.

Rome and Rio de Janeiro have been announced as two of the host cities.

Alan Baldwin and Mark Meadows 25-2-13

http://www.euronews.com/sport/1835030-dallara-to-work-with-formula-e-electric-series/

The all electric FIA Formula E World Championship was revealed at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham during the MIA’s Low Carbon Racing Conference.

Contrary to previous information about the series Formula E will be an open class allowing anyone to build a chassis and powertrain in 2015, though in its first year it will be a spec class as previously reported. 42 cars have been ordered from “a famous car constructor” believed to be Dallara, whilst McLaren Electronics will supply the power train via Spark Racing Technology. In the first year that powertrain will carry the branding of a major car manufacturer believed to be Nissan.

However in 2015 the series will be fully open but the series organisers will discourage people from running their own chassis as it wants the emphasis to be placed on the powertrain.

“I do not want this to be a series dominated by aerodynamicists, instead I want it to be dominated by the power trains, we have some big brands lined up to supply those and a few years down the line I want each team to run a different system, so the series will be about the development of EV technology” explained series boss Alejandro Agag.

Drayson Racing is the first team to commit to the new series and it will run and assist in the development of the spec Formula E customer racing car in 2014.

From 2015, the team plans to be a constructor in its own right fielding a new drivetrain developed from the advanced DRT 4X2-640 electric system featured in the Lola-Drayson B12/69EV car that set a new electric record last summer at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It is not clear if it will utilise its own chassis or continue with the spec tub, which seems more likely.

The team is a wholly owned subsidiary of Drayson Racing Technologies which has been pioneering green racing initiatives since 2007 and has been acting as Scientific Adviser to the FIA Formula E Championship during its establishment over the past few months.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/news/further-formula-e-details-revealed-as-drayson-signs-up/

Following an annoucement in 2012 that McLaren is to design and build the powertrain for the first Formula E cars, it has now been revealed that MIA member Dallara is to develop a new monocoque for the series. 

Frédéric Vasseur, president of Spark Racing Technology (SRT), official supplier to the FIA Formula E Championship, said, “In his capacity as manufacturer, Dallara has accompanied me throughout my professional life and it is with great pleasure that SRT will join him and benefit from his expertise and know-how.”

* Note, there is no connection between the Bluebird™ FE system and the proposed Bluebird GTL team

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