Starting in the 2020/21 season, MAHLE GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany, will be a technical partner to DS Techeetah, the leading team in the electric racing series, Formula E. DS Techeetah is a Chinese motor racing team under ownership of SECA – China Media Capital.
MAHLE will use its many years of expertise in e-mobility to support the racing team while taking advantage of the rigors of the motorsports environment to gain a wealth of new insights that can be applied to series production development. As a driving force behind sustainable mobility, MAHLE has pioneered a host of core e-mobility technologies including developments in battery cooling. For the finale of the sixth season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, which is now underway in Berlin/Germany, the DS Techeetah drivers will be lining up to defend the team’s title in cars already sporting the MAHLE logo.
“As one of the technology pioneers in the field of e-mobility, we’re delighted to be working with DS Techeetah—one of the very best teams in Formula E. It’s a partnership of equals,” says Fred Tuerk, Vice President MAHLE Motorsports. “MAHLE Motorsports has been a strong partner to the most successful teams since the early days of racing. For us, motorsports are like a development lab. This new partnership in Formula E gives us the opportunity to test out our e-mobility solutions in the tough motorsports environment—and to develop them quickly and consistently for use in series production.”
Keith Smout, Chief Commercial Officer DS Techeetah says, “We consider our new partnership with MAHLE extremely important for the future development of our team and we are beyond excited to have them on board. We have proved that we have the best technology and the best people in the business as it stands and, with the addition of MAHLE expertise, there is no end to what we can achieve. With such a great partner, we are certain to stay at the top of the Formula E Championship. We are pleased that such a well-established manufacturer like MAHLE recognizes the value of a relationship with our team and the importance of a sport like Formula E for the future.”
Because of the particularly high demands and loads experienced by vehicles in Formula E races, MAHLE’s activities in motorsports are also a catalyst for technological developments that can subsequently be put into series production. MAHLE Motorsports has been a developer and systems partner on the international motorsports scene—including Formula 1—for several decades. MAHLE is now continuing this success story with its involvement in Formula E.
The solutions developed and produced by MAHLE for e-mobility cover a wide range of areas, including battery, powertrain, and cabin temperature control. MAHLE also offers electric drive motors and auxiliary components as well as solutions for control and power electronics, not to mention software and engineering for electric vehicles.