Porsche Motorsport’s 99X Electric Formula E race car, powered by Ansys’ industry-leading simulation solutions, cemented its status in car racing history by capturing first and second place on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit at the Mexico City E-Prix, the third round of the 2022 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Finishing in 47:20.404 minutes, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team driver Pascal Wehrlein (#94) outpaced the competition with help from the 99X Electric’s Gen2 powertrain, which was optimized for electrical efficiency using Ansys solutions. His teammate André Lotterer (#36) finished in second place to complete a historic one-two win for the team.
The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team faced significant engineering challenges for competing at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. The venue is the only permanent facility in the Season 8 Formula E calendar. The circuit requires teams to manage incredible speeds around winding turns and race across long full-throttle straights, requiring sudden shifts in acceleration and deceleration. The perfect race strategy and optimal energy management are keys to success. Porsche Motorsport worked with Ansys to design a highly-efficient customized powertrain that greatly minimized energy losses — giving the 99X Electric a key competitive edge. Together with Ansys, Porsche Motorsport engineers accelerated the virtual testing of design concepts to swiftly provide the best design solution, without physical prototypes.
Expanding from racetracks to roads, Porsche Motorsport’s engineering team uses the 99X Electric’s Gen2 powertrain to spur the development of energy efficient, affordable and sustainable commercial e-mobility models.
“The 99X Electric demonstrated the tremendous power of e-mobility in this race, providing an impressive reference of the massive potential that electric vehicles have,” said Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E at Porsche Motorsport. “Ansys solutions play an essential role in squeezing maximum performance and efficiency out of the Gen2 powertrain, enabling the 99X Electric to sustain extreme speeds for extended periods of time, substantially lessening energy losses and slashing seconds off lap times.”
“Porsche Motorsport is an industry leader in electric vehicle design and the Porsche 99X Electric has ushered in a new era of e-mobility with its latest triumph on one of the world’s most demanding tracks. We congratulate the team on their outstanding achievement,” said Rick Mahoney, senior vice president of worldwide sales, marketing and customer excellence at Ansys. “Using Ansys, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team demonstrated how they could improve the integration of highly complex electrical systems to maximize energy efficiency and outrace the competition.”
