The public’s perception about the performance of electrification of cars has been altered thanks to the emergence of ABB FIA Formula E and the focus on developing the race cars’ powertrain.
Speaking ahead of the Mexico City E-Prix, Panasonic Jaguar
Racing’s head of powertrain Selin Tur explained how this electric form of
motorsport has usurped other combustion forms when it comes to road car
development.
Whereas the pinnacle of the sport spreads its focus across
numerous factors to gain a competitive edge over the field, Selin mentions that
due to the strict cost-control parameters in Formula E each team can focus
their efforts on developing their powertrain.
“We have changed people’s perception, as fast performance
cars that are environmentally friendly. The most relevant area for road cars is
the powertrains,” she adds.
“Don’t get me wrong, in our quest to get more efficient,
more environmentally friendly road cars, aerodynamics and lightweight materials
are key, but one of the best solutions, probably the only solution is to push
for the electrification of powertrains in cars.”
Having started her career at Williams Advanced Engineering
just as the electrification revolution had begun, Selin found herself working
on both electric cars and racing cars. But it was the work on a hybrid
supercar, a joint project between Jaguar and Williams Advanced Engineering on
the Jaguar C-X75, that led Selin and her team towards developing and designing
the batteries for the Formula E race series.
She says: “We were lucky that Formula One introduced hybrid
engines back in 2009 and with that era, I stepped into motorsport and started
designing energy recovery systems for Formula One racing cars. Off the back of
it, Williams Advanced Engineering started working on the batteries for Formula
E, which has been powering all the cars for the first four seasons of the race
series.”
Now working with Panasonic Jaguar Racing, Selin is in charge
of the development of all electrical and software systems, which includes
controlling the electric motor inverters, the Jaguar I-TYPE 2’s control systems
including the acceleration and deceleration mapping and managing the car’s
energy saving. And she believes that now is the right time to get involved in
electrical motorsport engineering, especially as a female, adding:
“What you can see as you walk down the paddock is that the
total number of people working for teams is increasing and the amount of work
going into software development is growing, as is the competitiveness on the
track.
“The environment is exciting, as is the technology, working
with top level engineers and around talented racing drivers, but also the race
series is well-connected to the engineering challenges of today’s road cars is
exciting to be part of. But we have a big skills shortage in engineering
overall, and women are encouraged to become engineers and they should be safe
in the knowledge they will be supported through their development.”
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