BMW brought its new iFE.18 to the 3.25 km Calafat circuit in Spain for testing in April. The test, hosted by the ABB FIA Formula E Championship series, was attended by all nine of the manufacturers developing the Gen 2 platform; the Gen 2 car will run in the series’ fifth season, scheduled to begin in December 2018.
The iFE.18, equipped with a drivetrain developed by BMW, was driven at Calafat by BMW factory driver and 2012 DTM champion Bruno Spengler. The test session included a day of driving on Tuesday, a day for teams to work on their cars on Wednesday, and another day of driving on Thursday.
According to e-racing365.com the teams can now run fifteen days of private testing before October 1.
“The test with the BMW iFE.18 was a very positive one,” said Spengler. “We spent a lot of time on track. When we did come across any issues, they were solved relatively quickly. In a project as new as this one, the initial tests are primarily about gaining experience. We did that and completed the majority of our test program. For me, as a driver, it is very special to be involved here from the word go. Working on the development of a new car is a unique task.”
Season Four of the series, for which BMW has partnered with the MS&AD Andretti team, runs next in Paris on April 28. After that the series runs in Berlin on May 19; BMW i will be the title sponsor of the Berlin race.—Brian Morgan
