By alley - Feb 12, 2017, 11:33 AM ET

Next-generation FE car design revealed

Spark Racing Technology announced that it has won the official tender from the FIA to supply the next generation of spec chassis for the Formula E Championship, and released these impressions of its plans for the new design, designated SRT05e.

Spark – which is owned by former Renault F1 team principal Frederic Vasseur – was appointed by the FIA as the initial car supplier for the Formula E Championship, which had its inaugural season the following year. The governing body put the supply contract for the next-generation FE car, scheduled to enter competition in the series' fifth season (2018-'19) out to tender last year.

The radical shape of the SRT05e stems from the requirement that the car must go twice the distance of the current cars in order to complete a full race distance, a feat Spark engineers aim to accomplish by more efficient aerodynamics, lower weight and better efficiency in the drivetrain.

To accomplish its additional endurance requirement, the new chassis will incorporate a more powerful (and heavier) battery

developed by McLaren Applied Technologies

, which will boost power from 28kw/h to 54kw/h. In order to accommodate the resulting 10% increase in weight, Spark said in its announcement of the car that "we are working on new innovating solutions using new materials so the cars can be more efficient and we also have to focus on new developments to keep the drivers safe."

One element of the focus on enhanced safety can be seen in the wrap-around windscreen, which bears some resemblance to the F1 canopy design tested last year by Red Bull as an alternative to the Halo device.

No timeline for launch of the new car was revealed, but

Formula E boss Alejandro Agag said last month

, "I think we will see the first car run maybe 10 months from now to start preparing for season five before delivering the cars to the teams."