Porsche 99X revealed: Formula E racer takes shape
Porsche has revealed its latest racer, the car that forced it to drop its highly-successful LMP1 World Endurance Championship program. And it's electric.
The 99X Electric will make its competitive debut in the 2019/20 Formula E Championship, but will first officially hit the track at the Spanish pre-season test in October.
As with the wider Formula E grid, the 99X will output 250kW from its electric motor and have a 52kWh battery pack.
That means a 100km/h sprint of just 2.8 seconds, and a top speed of 280km/h – not that there are many straights on the Formula E grid long enough to explore that top speed properly.
"In hindsight, we laid the foundations for Porsche’s future involvement in Formula E during the LMP1 project. We used the insights gained during that time in the development of the Porsche Formula E powertrain," said Malte Huneke, Porsche technical project leader, Formula E
"We focused on building a highly effective powertrain with the highest level of efficiency."
When it lobs on the grid, Porsche will go head-to-head with a raft of big European brands looking to burnish their electric credentials.
Audi and BMW already have factory-backed operations, while Mercedes-Benz will join next year. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Mahindra have been on board since day one, too.
The Formula E championship kicks off in Saudi Arabia on November 22.