Drayson Racing Technologies Challenges Future Formula E Design

Drayson Into The Future. Drayson Racing Technologies is a little out of this world, a little out of its time or maybe more to the point, ahead of its time. It’s the only company that has a full-fledged electric prototype racer, the 200 mph B12/69EV all-electric racing prototype we covered here: Drayson Racing Technologies Gets Serious About Racing means serious business. The problem is, as Lord Drayson told me, there is no one to race with… See: Racing An Electric Lola B12/69 EV Feels Like A Catapult

I hope these articles got your mouth watering because not only is prototype racing extremely interesting, it is very, very technical and in many ways far more challenging than single seater-racers. Now add to this an electric prototype racer that can run with the competition, if not at least in terms of raw power and you are glancing into the future. But with the advent of Formula E, the electric version of Formula 1 approved by the FIA, there needs to be ground rules as well as a total fundamental shift in design and specs. After all, how do you race an electric Formula 1? What does it look like and what are its technical specs? Drayson Racing Technologies is asking just that by enrolling the help of the Royal College of Art’s prestigious Vehicle Design program in London.

The Formula E Challenge. The competition will see first year MA students competing to design a concept for the Drayson Racing car that will run in the FIA’s new global Formula E electric racing series. Students will be able to take inspiration from a previous DRT Formula E concept, penned by celebrated racing car designer, Sergio Rinland. As part of the curriculum this term, the award will cover styling trends and themes within the constraints of racing regulations and more. The project will also include a series of workshops and lectures on crucial design areas such as aerodynamics, engineering packaging, production engineering and materials, in collaboration with the Drayson Racing team, all relevant to racing. The winning designer will receive a prize, as well as get to see their ideas brought to life by the Drayson Racing engineers as part of the future evolution of DRT’s pioneering work in electric motorsport.

According to the Drayson Racing Technologies website, Professor Dale Harrow, Dean of the RCA School of Design and Head of the Vehicle Design program has to say: “We are delighted that Drayson Racing has chosen to support the RCA’s Vehicle Design programme in this way. As an inspiring project with ground-breaking ideas in the field of motorsport and electric technology innovation, I am certain that our students will learn much from this exciting relationship.

“One of the things that makes the RCA Vehicle Design programme so special is its ability to offer students unexpected challenges and fresh insights that will inspire creativity and empower individuals to create original and outstanding work. The Drayson Racing Award provides such a challenge and is one that is already creating a lot of excitement at the College.”

As far as Sergio Rinland, Managing Director of Astauto Ltd and designer of a Drayson Racing Formula E concept car, he had to say the following: "This is a great opportunity for RCA students to apply their talents to the exciting new challenges presented by electric vehicle racing and it’s terrific to see people helping to develop the talents of tomorrow's electric vehicle designers."

Finally Lord Drayson added: “The RCA has a global reputation for nurturing world-class talent in vehicle design and is an institution that I admire greatly. This new partnership will see us working closely with the students both to inspire them with our vision to be a world-leader in electric vehicle design and to share with them the insights we have gained from working on the B12/69EV electric racing car. We are keen to use the B12/69EV project to inspire innovation in vehicle design and excite a new generation of design engineers and this award aims to do just that.”

There is something exciting witnessing the birth of a new race type, aligned with the trend toward electrifying the automotive world. We know how important it is to race the electric drivetrain in order to show people its tremendous potential. Drayson Racing Technologies has firmly cemented its position as a leader in the field of electric car racing and we can only anticipate the FIA sanctioned races.