Mercedes-Benz enters Formula E with the EQ Silver Arrow 01

ABU DHABI: After several years of speculations, Mercedes-Benz has finally unveiled its contender for the Formula E championship. The car was showcased at this year’s Geneva Motor Show and is dubbed the EQ Silver Arrow 01. At the show, the car on display was wearing an all-black concept livery. The final livery will be presented at a later stage ahead of the 2019 season. For those not aware, Formula E is an all-electric car championship.

Design wise the EQ Silver Arrow 01 looks exactly like any other Generation 2 Formula E car. This is because as per the rules, the bodywork cannot be modified by the manufacturers. What you get is an elongated nose, wings that merge into the fenders, and no conventional rear wing. Instead, you get 2 wings that start from the sides of the engine cover and extend outward to meet the heightened rear fenders. The interior of a Generation 2 Formula E car (also known as the Spark SRT05e) is similar between most cars. The steering wheels would obviously be different based on driver preferences and may have extra paddles behind it for various controls.

Powering the EQ Silver Arrow 01 is a 52 kW battery pack (provided by McLaren Applied Technologies), it can produce a maximum of 340 bhp. This is used during practice and qualifying while during the race only 270 bhp will be available. Performance wise, 0-100 kmph is dismissed in 2.8 seconds and the car tops out at 280 kmph. Braking power is provided by Brembo and all-weather semi-slick Michelin tires help the car stick to the road.

Manufacturers can design their own electric motors, inverters, gearboxes, and front brake ducts. This is not a lot to work, but it forces focus on how to extract the best battery performance, which is what matters for road cars.

The question is, will Mercedes enjoy the same success as in Formula 1, with the Formula E championship? As some of the rivals for Mercedes in Formula E will include more experienced ones like Audi, BMW, Citroën, Mahindra, Nissan, and Jaguar.