Formula E is getting ready to launch its second generation of battery-powered race cars for the 2019 circuit, so owners are making the first 40 electric race cars available for purchase.
Bloomberg reports the cars, some of which presumably raced all four seasons, will fetch between $200,000 and $289,000. Formula E paid about 16 million euros ($18.4 million) for the 40 cars — or $460,000 apiece, meaning they're roughly half-off the original price. They were leased to the teams, some of which are apparently interested in purchasing them back. Formula E isn't officially marketing the cars but is using word of mouth. Also, every car has an identical chassis and battery, so their individual value may be pegged to things like victories, sentiment and other factors.
Since they were introduced, battery technology has improved enough that the next generation will be able to do a 45-minute timed race on a single charge. The new batteries will come from McLaren Applied Technologies and will double capacity. Previously, racers had to swap cars when the battery was depleted, since there's no time to plug in and wait to get charged up.
"Today, the competition is on the powertrains, the motor controller and the gear box," Theophile Gouzin, CEO and technical director of Spark Racing Technology, which won the contract to build both the first- and second-generation chassis, told Bloomberg. He added that focusing on efficiency and increasing mileage through racing is how the participating automakers and partners hope to catch up to Tesla in developing electric vehicles.
Season 5 of Formula E racing opens with all 22 Gen2 cars in December at Ad Diriyah in Saudi Arabia.
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