Formula E is expecting six to eight new manufacturers to come on board for its second season, bringing a variety of powertrains to the electric racing series.

Formula E is three races into its first season, in which all the cars are using identical powertrains built by McLaren, with batteries from Williams. Season two, however, will feature a more open concept to spark a technology competition between teams.

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“There was an application process by the FIA for future manufacturers for this championship, and 12 applications were presented,” founder Alejandro Agag told Autosport. “They are a mix of car manufacturers and…technology companies that produce batteries, electric motors or even a full powertrain.”

The FIA will have meetings soon to define a roadmap for the technology level of the championship. “We need to decide what areas can be developed and what cannot – but the focus must remain on the electric powertrain,” said Agag. He envisions keeping the current Spark chassis for a number of years, and encouraging development of the powertrains, especially in terms of their economy and range.

“The good news is that we will have quite a number of different powertrains next year; we will have some big names delivering those,” said Agag. “We have a great idea of the direction that we’re going to go, and we’ll of course work closely with the FIA on the regulations and with the selected manufacturers. We will have the competition that we’ve always wanted to have that will improve the technology.”    

Source: Autosport.com
Images Courtesy of FIA Formula E Championship