At a time of 12 months the place we begin to think about gift-giving, Lucas di Grassi will discover one thing that he’s been after for years beneath his Christmas tree.
The brand new GEN3 Evo Method E automobile will introduce four-wheel-drive to the sequence for the primary time. It’s the sequence’ eleventh season, so the transfer has been a very long time coming. di Grassi has been angling for it since Season 5, when Method E launched the primary incarnation of its GEN2 automobile.
“After we moved from GEN1 to GEN2, I mentioned ‘let’s go four-wheel-drive’, as a result of four-wheel-drive is the way forward for electrical automobiles,” mentioned the Lola Yamaha Abt driver. “You want a motor within the entrance to regen so four-wheel-drive is sensible.
“With GEN3 to GEN3 Evo, the largest change is the four-wheel-drive, and it’s solely 50kW. We now have 250 out there, simply change the software program and we now have 250 of it. With 50 kW it’s already modified massively, it’s a unique automobile to drive, it’s (obtained a) a lot quicker response, it’s higher, the automobile is extra secure in excessive pace, the acceleration 0-100 (kph) is a second quicker, so it’s a large distinction.”
With the efficiency electrical automobile market awash with four-wheel-drive choices, di Grassi feels that the change gained’t simply be an enormous shift for the driving and on-track expertise, however can even enhance Method E’s street relevance.
“I feel Method E was very daring in creating an electrical sequence when only a few folks understood that the way forward for the mobility business can be electrical,” he mentioned. “And as time passes it simply turns into extra clear that both a big a part of mobility or a big a part of the powertrains or the entire powertrain will likely be electrical. So electrical know-how turns into extra related each time.
Efficiency electrical street automobiles – such because the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach bundle used because the Method E security automobile – are virtually all four-wheel-drive. Simon Galloway/Motorspoort Photos
“At the moment the know-how being developed continues to be very commercially related. You’ll be able to nonetheless transport a whole lot of what we turn into manufacturing automobiles, and this 12 months particularly as a result of it’s four-wheel-drive it turns into much more related as a result of just about each single automobile that’s an electrical sports activities automobile is four-wheel-drive. So it’s an enormous step ahead.”
The GEN3 Evo ruleset will final for 2 seasons earlier than GEN4 arrives, which is able to deliver one other massive technological leap. di Grassi says “I want a two hour window to say precisely what I would like from GEN4”, however did counsel that the enhancements coming with GEN3 Evo could be amplified additional.
“Though we’re a bit late on doing this modification, lastly we did it and it’s the greatest step that Method E has carried out and in GEN4 I feel all it will go even additional,” he mentioned. “The automobile will in all probability be made already to be four-wheel-drive from scratch and that’s what I wish to see. I wish to see tires which have extra grip as properly and a few type of downforce that doesn’t compromise races however you need to use a bit extra of the facility out there.”
The modifications to the automobile – which additionally contains grippier, quicker degrading tires – can even change the complexion of races. Whereas Assault Mode beforehand proved to be extra of a hindrance due to the necessity to drive via an activation zone off-line to unlock the non permanent enhance in energy, now – with four-wheel-drive coming into play as a part of Assault Mode – it could possibly deliver advantages and open up a variety of technique choices.
“It’s going to change massively through the races. Why we wasted Assault mode final season, why we tried to do away with it, was since you couldn’t put the facility down,” di Grassi defined. “You might not put 350kW with the tires we had final 12 months so that you didn’t actually acquire a whole lot of efficiency. So that you simply tried to get Assault Mode out of the way in which so that you don’t lose locations and you then can be preventing for the vitality within the pack race.
“Now there’s a huge distinction, I’d say at some tracks it may very well be as much as three seconds a lap with the four-wheel-drive. You’ll be able to overtake even in brief straights since you acquire on acceleration. That has by no means been tried in motorsport earlier than. I do know after I drove in LMP1, and the opposite automobiles weren’t four-wheel-drive, the place we might overtake. And the distinction is so massive on the exit of the corners that you possibly can overtake in 30-40 meters, and in Method E that may enhance the overtaking potentialities much more that had been already insane final season.
4-wheel-drive will enhance Method E’s already ample overtaking alternatives. Malcolm Griffiths/Motorsport Photos
“In case you are within the unsuitable place and you’ve got used Assault Mode and there’s a security automobile and other people behind you didn’t use, you’re going to lose your place. So Assault Mode turns into a really useful gizmo strategically, and that’s going to vary the sport: The way you place your self? How you utilize vitality? Do you utilize Assault mode at first? Do you do it on the finish? You’ve gotten the battery heating up and also you don’t wish to do it on the finish, however possibly if there’s a security automobile on the finish and possibly you lose out, so there’s now in all probability six, seven shifting factors that you really want to take care (of) to have the ability to extract the utmost out of the race. So I feel it’s going to be very, very attention-grabbing.
“My solely concern is the moist races. This tire, if it’s moist and chilly, it’s worse than my ice drive that I did in Greenland. In order that’s my solely concern. Aside from that, I feel the tire deg is one thing that the motive force could make a distinction, the four-wheel-drive, the temperatures of every part, so it is going to be a really complicated race.”
Whereas Method E has lastly caught up with its eventual introduction of four-wheel-drive, di Grassi’s Lola Yamaha Abt workforce is of course nonetheless behind in comparison with its rivals, having solely joined the sequence forward of the upcoming season.
“The sensation is nice,” he mentioned of his workforce’s present place. “Theoretically it is much better than what we had final 12 months however we have to develop every part and we’re two years behind everybody.
“Plenty of the brake programs, controls, vitality, all of that you may carry over the place we now have to go from scratch. I anticipate we’ll proceed to seek out efficiency within the automobile for a very long time and even when we attempt onerous to enhance as a lot as we are able to, we want time and we want mileage to get to the extent of the highest performers right here.”
