FE: McLaren technology arm wins battery deal

The sister company of the McLaren Formula 1 team has won the right to supply the Formula E battery from the 2018/19 season.

McLaren Applied Technologies has been tasked with providing the battery that will allow the championship to scrap its mid-race car swaps.

Related Stories

It has been granted an initial two-season supply, a decision the FIA World Motor Sport Council revealed was made "in light of the ongoing rapid development of battery technology."

Current battery supplier Williams Advanced Engineering was among the applicants for the new tender, for which the FIA requested independent help with the decision-making process.

Porsche and Renault/Red Bull Technologies were among other organizations reported to have bid for the contract.

McLaren Applied Technologies has been involved in the championship since its inception, supplying the motor for the spec powertrain in the inaugural season and partnering a number of teams in subsequent campaigns.

No further details of the battery were confirmed, though the original tender required an increase from 28kWh to 54kWh to allow the cars to complete an entire race distance.

Per the original tender, MAT will be required to submit the battery for crash testing by June 1 2017, and a test battery must be available to teams by November 1.

The final race version will need to be delivered to teams by July 1 2018.

Power output is still expected to rise to 250kW (335bhp) for the 2018/19 campaign, with the capacity to harvest energy to rise from 150kW to 250kW.

MAT won the Pioneering & Innovation Award at last year's Autosport Awards.

Originally on Autosport.com