Touting transferable track technology

By Sun Xiaochen in Buenos Aires | China Daily | Updated: 2017-02-22 07:52

Electric motor racing appeals to participants for a variety of reasons - not the least of which is its potential for reshaping the future of urban transportation.

Oliver Turvey of China-backed team NextEV Nio is one of the growing legion of Formula E drivers intrigued by the prospect of adopting fancy track technologies to electric-powered road cars.

The London native, who joined NextEV in 2015, had the good fortune to test drive EP9, the Chinese startup company's latest road-legal electric super car, on the famous Nurburgring track in Germany in October.

EP9's lap time of 7.05 minutes smashed all previous electric-vehicle (EV) records.

A two-year veteran of Formula E, Turvey is still fascinated by that trial run in what is claimed to be the world's fastest EV.

"I am really proud of racing for NextEV Nio. It's exciting to be part of a new electric car company in China," Turvey told China Daily after the Buenos Aires ePrix in the Argentine capital on Feb 18.

"I think their plans are really exacting about the cars they develop. We are fortunate to drive EP9. It's phenomenally fast."

Turvey finished ninth with two ranking points in Buenos Aires, the third stop on the championship's 12-race season.

Founded in 2014, NextEV has assembled design, engineering and manufacturing teams in Munich, London and Shanghai for road EV development while operating the Formula E program.

EP9 is the first trickle-down of Formula E racing technology into a road car, which is exactly the aim of established manufacturers such as Jaguar and Audi that are competing in the young championship.

"I think what we accomplish on the race track is helping develop our powertrain and other systems. When you are competing against others, it's always going to drive the development of the road car. That's something I enjoy the most," said Turvey, who earned an engineering degree from Cambridge University.

With new regulations adopted by Formula E almost every year to allow manufacturers to fine-tune race cars on their own, Turvey said the open race will only accelerate the tech evolution for civil use.

"It's an exciting championship. It's new technologies developing new powertrains that are very beneficial for electric road cars, which are the future in cities around the world. It's great to be part of this championship and to race in these great cities," said Turvey.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn