Porsche Builds State-of-the-Art Racing Simulator
Spider-like racing simulator reacts to every bump, corner, and elevation change to help Porsche maximize their Formula E efficiency.
Porsche debuted the TAG Heuer Porsche racing team in November 2019 in Saudi Arabia with the 99x electric race cars. Drivers Andre Loterrer and Neel Jani pilot the German racing machines, and started the debut season off with a bang when Loterrer finished in second place in the first race. Overall, TAG Heuer Porsche sits in sixth place in the ABB Formula-E Championship standings. Porsche has not been quiet about their plans to dominate the series and previously stated that they would “invest accordingly” to do so. This simulator shows they’re willing to back that statement up, and then some.
The simulator resembles a spider, with a cockpit sitting fifteen feet above the ground on an assembly of hydraulic arms to create realistic movement. Inside is a perfect replica of the 99x cockpit with an accurate field of view and even an actual steering wheel from the race cars. Just off-screen is a safety glass assembly full of Porsche engineers, monitoring and running the simulator as Jani prepares to run a race. The track, in this case, is the French Street Circuit, where the ninth race of the 2019-2020 Formule-E season will take place in April. Porsche reports Jani spent four hours in the simulator in one day, feeling every bump and rumble strip just like real life. Though, the one aspect the simulator can’t recreate is the G-forces created while racing. No matter, though. Everything else is as real as can be. The track profile is made up of 3D scans accurate down to a millimeter.
Simulation is substantially more important in Formula-E than any other form of racing at the moment. Since Formula-E cars can’t make pit stops to refuel, one of the biggest challenges of the race is conserving energy, and knowing when to maximize it. Formula-E cars have an Attack Mode, which allows an additional 35kw of power that can be used two or three times in a race for four minutes at a time. Though, when to use it is not a team decision.
“The engineers can hardly help us from the pit. Telemetry is prohibited in Formula E; only we can decide which mode to call up,” says Jani
Overall, battery conservation is also a concern. Though the cars use regenerative braking to charge the battery throughout the race, it is a constant battle between when to use the most of the motor, and when to save energy. The simulator can be changed to present various scenarios, too. Getting stuck behind competitors, low battery economical driving, and multiple other driver tests can be given. It really is no joke, then, that Porsche is prepared to do whatever it takes to win in Formula-E.
We look forward to the rest of the 2019-2020 season and hope to see more podium finishes for the TAG Heuer Porsche team.
Photos: Porsche