FIA publishes video on the homologation process for a Formula E powertrain

The FIA has explained the homologation process for Formula E powertrains in a video on its YouTube channel. It shows the homologation of the Mahindra powertrain for the Gen3 Evo era of the electric racing series. The homologation will take place at the FIA Technical Centre in Valleiry in the west of France, right on the Swiss border.

In a video lasting around four minutes, the FIA uses the example of Mahindra Racing to show how the final homologation of a Formula E drive system is carried out. According to the official timetable of the International Automobile Federation, this must have taken place at the beginning of October - the video was published in December. However, this was preceded by several FIA reviews of the project, which are not discussed in the video. This is only about the final inspection of the developed powertrain.

"Homologation of the car is to check that the car is in accordance to the regulations - mostly the safety and technical regulations," explains Laurent Arnaud, the FIA's technical delegate for the Formula E World Championship, in the video. "And this is what we are doing during few hours with the manufacturer."

"It's about safety, conformity & legality"

"Homologation is really about safety, conformity and legality," explains Josef Holden, Technical Director of Mahindra Racing. "We have to make sure that all of the components on the car from a manufacturer perimeter are legal, they're within tolerance for dimension and safety regulations ensuring that when the driver is in the car, the car is operating correctly. But similarly that we're making sure from technical regulations perspective, we're satisfying those rules."

Although the powertrain itself and all documents and PowerPoint presentations in the video have understandably been made unrecognisable, it still provides some fascinating insights into the homologation process of a Formula E powertrain.

For example, we learn that the vehicles for season 11 have been given new drive shafts on the front axle in order to not only be able to recover energy with the front MGU, but also to be used to power the car at the start of the race, during qualifying duels and in attack mode.