If we are talking about a new and revolutionary race series like the Formula E, it will be pretty unfitting to have a fuel-guzzling 6.2-liter Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to serve as the safety car in the race series. What will be suitable for this green and tree-hugging race series is to have a car that shares the same characteristics as the race cars; something like the BMW i8.
BMW’s new plug-in hybrid course car was unveiled in a ceremony at the Donington Park circuit in the UK. The BMW i8 should be able to undertake the task of leading the racers around the circuit with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine and two-motor electric drive system pushing out a combined output of 357-horsepower. Zerotohundred is dealt at just over 4 seconds and on electric power alone, it has a top speed of 120km/h.
But green technology is not the only technological highlights in both the BMW i8 and the Formula E race cars. Both of them have turned to another new electric technology to ensure the car’s battery remains topped-up at all times – wireless charging. The Qualcomm Halo wireless charging allows the car to be parked over a resonant magnetic induction pad on the ground and commence charging without the need of any cables of any sort.
