The 2020/21 campaign marks Formula E's first as an FIA World Championship, and Audi - which has been a part of the series since Season 1, working alongside technology partner ABT Schaeffler - rings in a first of its own with its centrepiece Audi MGU05 powertrain providing the beating heart of its new e-tron FE07.
The undertaking has been described as one of Audi Sport's "most challenging and intensive projects ever" by Formula E project leader Tristan Summerscale, with the team pulling out all the stops to add to its title tally following Lucas di Grassi's 2016/17 triumph, and its own as a fully-fledged manufacturer outfit via the Teams' Championship in 2017/18 at the first time of asking.
"We are leaving no stone unturned to reduce the energy loss within the system to an absolute minimum,” says Summerscale. “We have achieved an overall efficiency of more than 95 percent for our powertrain. The new MGU inverter unit has an efficiency of even more than 97 percent in all relevant driving conditions.”
Extensive work was carried out on in-house test benches and during endless testing cycles which set about stressing the whole powertrain to its limits in order to achieve maximum output and efficiency. The unit's compact size and weight is a source of pride for Audi's engineers.
The Audi MGU05 is a one-speed electric drivetrain with an internal rotor, external magnets, a highly-efficient cooling system and six electrical phases. Head of e-Drive development at Audi Sport, Stefan Aicher, worked with his team to "push to the limits" with the project, managing to save weight by using lightweight materials and rethinking its packaging and the unit's integration within the FE07's chassis.
“We were able to directly reinvest these savings in the new MGU for the benefit of enhanced efficiency. The new MGU inverter unit weighs less than 35 kilograms. This was an exceptional achievement by the whole team,” says Aicher.
"If you compare our MGU with an internal combustion engine delivering a comparable power output of 250 kW, our efficiency is not only twice as high, but our weight of less than 35 kilograms is also much lighter,” adds Tristan Summerscale. “This clearly shows what an efficient solution an electric powertrain is.”
Lucas di Grassi and Rene Rast will wield the e-tron FE07 for the first time in public at Formula E's official pre-season test at Valencia's Circuit Ricardo Tormo, November 28-December 2.