Check Out the Safety Cars Used in Formula E Over the Years

The Formula E championship originated in 2011 in Paris. Its founders were Jean Todt, the founder of FIA and Alejandro Agag, a famous Spanish businessman and current the chairman of the single-seater motorsport championship.

Some of the biggest car manufacturing companies and brands butt heads to clinch the title. The cars used in the championship are powered purely by electricity. What´s more, even the safety cars used in the tournament are magnificent to look at. These safety vehicles feature stellar exteriors paired with extraordinary performance to keep up with the participating cars.  Let's take a look at the safety cars used in Formula E over the years:

PORSCHE TAYCAN – From 2022 onwards

Photo Credit: newsroom.porsche.com

Porsche has recently announced that the Taycan would serve as the newest Formula E safety car for the 2022 championship event. The Taycan is a successor to last year´s Mini Electric Pacesetter and the BMW i8 prior to that. The company made quite a lot of changes to turn the Taycan into a full-fledged safety vehicle. The eighth season of the Formula E championship will witness Porsche's Taycan Turbo S take up the responsibilities of ensuring that the event remains a safe affair.

MINI ELECTRIC PACESETTER (2020-21)

Photo Credit: www.press.bmwgroup.com

The Mini Electric Pacesetter was given the responsibility of being the safety car for Formula E´s 2020-21 season. Inspired by JCW´s MINI Cooper SE, the Pacesetter was the result of an unprecedented collaboration between MINI design, BMW Motorsport, FIA and Formula E. Using lightweight design principles, the Pacesetter weighs 132 kg lighter than the standard MINI Cooper SE and can sprint from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.7 seconds. The car received words of appreciation from many prominent figures, including the former racer Carriea. Packed with powerful components and an attractive exterior, the car quickly became a force to reckon with.

BMW i8 Roadster (2019-20)

Photo Credit: www.fiaformulae.com

BMW has been involved in Formula E since its inception in 2014 and has strived to improve upon its own offering. The i8 Roadster was introduced in Monaco as the safety car for the year 2019-20. With no roof and a radically reduced windscreen, this is the only open top safety car used over the years. Modified for improved performance on the circuits of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the roadster sits 15mm lower than the production model with M Carbon Ceramic Brakes and stiffer suspension, to help it keep pace with all 22 new Gen2 Formula E cars.

BMW QUALCOMM i8 (2014 -2018)

Photo Credit: www.bmw-motorsport.com

The longest reigning Formula E safety car in this list, the Qualcomm i8 was a part of the championship until 2019. First used back in 2014 when Formula E began, the car made its debut in the Putrajaya ePrix. It is also the only hybrid car used in the series with a 7.1kWh battery is supported by a 1.5L turbocharged engine, combining to produce up to 362 bhp.

Formula E is gaining immense popularity after each passing day. Even the safety cars used in the competition are no less than dreamboat cars. They not elevate the safety quotient of the championship but also hype the tournament up pretty well.